Katie Burns
Hi Everyone! This is Katie Burns and I graduated from Syracuse University this year with a dual degree in public relations and geography. Now that I am finished I can’t imagine my experience at Syracuse without geography. From the very first class I was hooked by its unique perspective and way of understanding the world. It has given me a place in this giant human society that I don’t think I quite knew or understood before. I’ve learned about history, sociology, economics, earth science, and policy—all through this great discipline!

I caught the travel bug after taking a trip to Ecuador this past December. It was the most amazing adventure of my life! (I plan on taking many more!) Everywhere I traveled my geography education and experience never left me. I appreciated the unique customs and culture of both the indigenous as well as non-indigenous peoples and how that was connected to history, their social structure, infrastructure, their relationships to the land, and so much more. It made the trip even more enriching when added to soaking in the beauty of the Andes Mountains, hummingbirds, fresh exotic fruit juice, giant waterfalls and lagoons!

In the future I plan to always be excited about geography and to never stop learning, debating and spreading my knowledge of the issues important to the discipline and the world. I also hereby promise to always do the discipline justice when someone asks me: “So what do you do with geography anyway?” I will go to graduate school in the future because I love to learn but I haven’t decided exactly what I will study yet. 

I would like to start off in the public relations field to gain solid experience in communication and then move on to using those skills for a greater cause, which geography has given me many choices. I’d love to work for a nonprofit or an intergovernmental organization working on environmental issues.  With the recent (re)emphasis on the environmental movement and focus on global warming, good communication is sorely needed. It is particularly important that the person disseminating the information understands the scientific, social and geographic dimensions of the issues along with what messages to send and through what channels.   

Photos:
1. "About 17 km from Baños, Ecuador. I just love the picture. It shows the beautiful gorges and vegetation and scenery I saw everywhere in Ecuador. Behind me there is a giant waterfall called El Pailon Del Diablo or "the Devil's Cauldron," which was also amazing. We actually walked on the bridge you see, which was quite shaky (only 5 people were allowed on at one time) and a little scary for someone afraid of heights!"

2. "On top of Mount Pichincha, an active volcano in Quito, which is the sprawling city behind me. We're about 12,000 feet high!"

3. "A waterfall near Skaneateles, NY on the west side of the lake. I love waterfalls and hiking and Carpenter Fall's is one of my favorite to visit from time to time."

4. "Me standing on the equator in Ecuador at the "Mitad del Mundo" ('Middle of the World') complex. It's 23 km from Quito. Technically, I don't think I'm in any hemisphere at that moment!"