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Sam Harrison reminisces on his years at Paso and creates a Cal Poly future
[dropcap size=big]S[/dropcap]cratching his head with a puzzled look at AP Biology and Global Environmental Options (GEO) teacher Gaylene Ewing, senior Sam Harrison wonders how he’s going to get into the van holding all of their camping gear for that night. They had just spent the day hiking as part of GEO class, and Ewing had misplaced the keys.
He was forced to break into the van with her permission; the impromptu vandalism created a memorable trip for Harrison.
Joshua Tree, Santa Cruz Island, and various GEO hikes are all trips that have made long-term impacts on Harrison’s journey through high school. They helped establish science as a positive influence in his life where he could find purpose and plenty of friends.
Senior Jill Schlickeiser, a close friend, attended Joshua Tree and Santa Cruz Island and remembers him as being an energetic member of the group.
“Sam is amazing and super energetic about everything. He loves to be with the group when we do group activities. We’re in GEO together and we’ve been on several other trips; he always tries to bring the group up,” she stated.
Harrison’s dream all throughout middle school was to attend Cal Poly, a dream that would go hand-in-hand with the passion for science he gained in his high school years.
Luck paid off; he received his letter of acceptance from Cal Poly and is planning to major in Environmental Earth and Soil Science. Harrison hopes to use his education to make a positive impact on the world in the form of renewable energy.
“I want to hopefully expand the level of technology that is used for sustainable forms of energy, or create opportunities for the entire world to have access to clean, renewable and affordable energy,” he said.
Harrison looks forward to his college career, but he still remembers his roots. His passion for science began at PRHS and he recalls his teachers as major influences on his interest in the subject.
“Science teachers I’ve had classes with — Fairbank, Johnston, Gilbert and Mrs. Ewing to name a few — have all been really impactful on my high school career; they’re a big reason why I’ve leaned toward the science field. I’m really happy that I’ve been able to interact with them,” he stated.
His teachers and their interactions in class and on trips cultivated his inquisitive, scientific mind. Physics teacher Evan Johnston, who taught Harrison in his junior year, praised for his curious nature.
“Sam was one of my top students, someone interested in learning about the physical world. He asked phenomenal questions that went way above the scope of the class and was always inquisitive. He was my only student last year to solve an extra credit question on the mass of a black hole in our Milky Way galaxy,” Johnston stated.
Harrison can’t help reminiscing on his growth since freshman year.
“When I started [high school] I didn’t have a focus on anything and hadn’t matured in that way. Now I want to be able to do something that will help someone that I know personally somehow, or if I end up going into environmental engineering, being able to provide others with the knowledge they need to create a better environment” Harrison concluded.
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Genesis de Sam
[dropcap size=big]S[/dropcap]am Harrison planea a continuar con su educación, con un especializacion en Ciencia Environmental de Tierra y Suelo en Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Harrison he tardó sus años asistiendo escuela secundaria de Paso Robles tomando clases de ciencias como Física y Opciones Globales Environnementales (GEO) que han ayudado fortalecer su pasión para la ciencia.
Evan Johnston, un profesor de física recuerda a Harrison como “uno de [su] mejores estudiantes.”
Harrison fue en caminatas con su clase de GEO y en excursiones de ‘Field Studies Collaborative’ en el parque nacional de Joshua Tree y en la Isla de Santa Cruz, donde se puso su pasión científica hasta investigacion practical.
El espera de perseguir una carrera donde puede hacer un impacto en nuestra mundo en la forma de energía renovable.
Harrison reminiscence de su progresa desde su primer año de escuela secundaria.
“Cuando empecé en [escuela secundaria], no podía enfocarme en nada y no he madurado en ninguna forma. Ahora, quiero hacer algo para ayudar a alguien que yo sepa personalmente, o si voy a perseguir una carrera en ingeniería environmental, siendo capaz de proporcionar otros con el conocimiento que necesiten para crear una ambiente mejor,” Harrison concluido.
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