20 East offered a unique experience. I was able to work with a very diverse group of individuals and cultures to obtain our goals for the region. Once I was finally home sick, I began to think about what to do with my life from that point. When I came home, most of my friends had already graduated from college, had jobs, and even families. I have a very determined personality and knew that my future had to be to use my military education funds to pay for my college education. I knew that I loved the outdoors, and I was already very familiar with topographic maps from my time in the military sector. Having a keen interest in science and a love of the outdoors led me straight to the realm of geology. My first course had my mind working overtime wondering how all these exotic landforms on Earth came to be here, and when they came into existence. I knew that I wanted to pursue my undergraduate degree in Geology and thus the coursework began. I had the opportunity to meet many amazing students and professors during my undergraduate time, but it was not always easy for me to feel like I fit in. As a combat veteran, I felt like I was always looked at a bit differently. I already knew my personality and sense of humor was very different from most of the students around me, but that it was not necessarily a bad thing. I am also a pretty goofy and funny guy, so once the so called “ice was broken” I felt very comfortable. Many of the projects in geology require a team to work together, and there is no more comfortable place for me to work in than a team environment. After long grueling nights studying for all of the undergraduate exams, I graduated Cum Laude in December 2015 and applied to the graduate program. I am currently pursuing my master’s degree under Dr. Jack Pashin and have begun working on my thesis. My thesis is focused on assessing the subsurface storage capacity of CO2 in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico (EGOM). Our research is important because there has already been success in subsurface storage of CO2 from other studies. Most of my project will be focused on identifying prospective lithological storage units by analyzing well logs, then outlining the extent of the storage area with 2D seismic surveys. Although I will be seeking employment in the oil and gas sector, I understand the need to keep our environmental footprint as small as possible. I am very grateful for the staff and all of the professors at the Boone Pickens School of Geology for all of their hard work and dedication to the geology program, so thank you and thanks to the alumni and donors for making our department better every year. My family has been a large source of my strength and perseverance, so I have to thank my wife Rebecca for being an amazing mother to our children and an incredible wife. You are my number one rock! Josh Bedell (BS Candidate) Josh Bedell’s journey to graduating with a Bachelor’s of Science with honors in Geology has been trying and unexpected to say the least. More importantly, though, it has been life fulfilling and rewarding beyond measure. Upon graduating high school, Josh was accepted into Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Initially, he was accepted for academics, but later was recruited to play football there as well. Upon returning from his college visit at Cornell, Josh found out that his high school sweetheart, Callie, was pregnant. Before that happened, Josh and Callie had an understanding that they weren’t going to stay together during college due to the difficulties of a long distance relationship. So the news of a baby was a shock to the both of them to say the least. Josh had a decision to make, he could both go to an Ivy League school and fulfill his dreams of playing Division 1 football, or he could stay home, marry Callie and begin the long and strenuous journey of parenthood. Although Josh and Callie were deeply “I am very grateful for the staff and all of the professors at the Boone Pickens School of Geology for all of their hard work and dedication to the geology program, so thank you and thanks to the alumni and donors for making our department better every year”.
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