My name is Emma Hayward and I am a junior at Eugene Lang College the New School for Liberal Arts. I am an environmental studies major and very excited to be interning with the American Geographical Society.
I was born and raised on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Growing up by the sea, combined with my parents’ passion for sailing and celestial navigation, gave me a desire to explore our world. Some of my earliest memories consist of gazing up at the night sky in awe as my father pointed out the different stars and constellations, all of which he used to make his way across the ocean. I would listen to my parents’ stories about rough seas and exotic islands, then spend hours lost in charts and maps looking for the places that they had once explored. My father describes celestial navigation as a dying art. It is the perfect example of traditional tools and knowledge being rapidly replaced by new technologies. This is what gave me an interest in geography, and more so an interest in interning for the American Geographical Society.
As our society continues to advance our world becomes increasingly accessible. To me, maps represent the way in which we view our world. People do not carry atlases around in their briefcases, but everyone carries an endless trove of maps in their smartphones. From an environmental standpoint, I wonder how geography, and peoples’ perception of their world, shapes the way we deal with environmental issues. There may be fewer places in the world left to map, but there are now more ways than ever to map them.
This semester I look forward to learning more about the relationship between geography and our changing world. As an intern I will be researching, writing, and improving my geographical skills. I am excited to see what this internship with the American Geographical Society will bring!