News from The Mahurin Honors College

February 28th is National Science Day. A day where we celebrate and recognize the power of science. WKU Environmental, Sustainability, and Geographic Studies major Noah Jennings is finding his own path in science. From Bardstown, KY, he came to WKU because of its proximity to home and caves. “When I was looking at schools, I noticed Western had a pretty solid Environmental Science Program with impressive outreach,” he said. He discovered the Mahurin Honors College during his research and decided to apply. “In a purely educational aspect, it’s been super helpful,” he said. He discussed how the honors classes he has taken so far have been more intimate and allowed him to develop a better relationship with the professors. Outside of an education standpoint, he’s been able to find a sense of community with other members of the honors college.  

During his senior year, he began to think about life after high school. He already knew he liked science and the outdoors. “My house has some land on it with wooded areas, a creek, and some caves. That shaped my interests a lot,” he said. Exploring the land on his property, especially the caves, led to his interests in environmental science. This past summer, he went on Mammoth Cave’s Wild Cave Tour, a six-hour spelunking trip, with his dad. “I found out I didn’t have claustrophobia or fear of the dark,” he said with a chuckle. “After that trip, I got even more excited about caving. I really looked forward to coming here and finding other ways to get involved.” Since being on campus, he’s had the opportunity to be in six caves with the Green River Grotto Club and CHNGES, an applied research center. With CHNGES, Noah “went to two or three caves in the downtown area and measured the running water velocity, which was really awesome.”  

In his first semester on campus, Noah got very involved. “I’m not someone who likes downtime, so it’s been cool to do as much as I want,” he said. He joined the Green River Grotto Club, Astronomy Club, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, and CHNGES. Through CHNGES, he’s getting real-world experience with environmental science. “We did a lot of water sample collections, measuring water velocity, and learned how to do water stream measurements. It’s been a lot of fun,” he said. Being super involved on campus has helped him in trying to narrow down his niche within environmental science. “Right now, it’s about getting exposure and learning,” he said. He shared his enthusiasm to work on more projects with CHNGES this semester to gain more experience. “I’m so excited for all the potential in environmental science.” 

WKU has provided Noah with endless amounts of community. He is a member of the Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric sciences  LLC here on campus. “It’s been a lot of fun and very helpful, they have the same sort of appreciation for the environment,” he said. The LLC and finding ways to get involved helped him through homesickness. His advice to new students is: “It’s okay to be worried about change, but don’t let it stop you from taking advantage of your first semester. Getting involved helps you with stress, finding friends, and staying busy. Seize the opportunities.”