“I went to class, I worked, and I played rugby.”
This is how Eleanor Jaffe sums up her four years at ̽̽ (̽̽). It may seem like too simple a recap, but each of those areas of college life held countless memorable experiences for Eleanor.
Class
A tour of ̽̽ brought Eleanor ’23 to the northeastern U.S. for the first time. Eleanor grew up in northern California where she fostered a passion for environmental activism in high school. Coming to ̽̽, she was eager to pursue that same passion at the college level. She applied to the at ̽̽ and was admitted as an Environmental Sciences major and an Aiken Scholar in 2019.
“I was drawn to the Rubenstein School’s strong focus on addressing environmental issues and learning about conservation,” said Eleanor.
Shortly after arriving at ̽̽, Eleanor realized that a change of major was in order. With the help of her first-year advisor, Eleanor became a Natural Resources major in the Rubenstein School with an Applied Ecology concentration.
“I realized that I needed more flexibility in my schedule to pursue all of my areas of interest,” explained Eleanor. “With that shift, I really felt able to explore the many avenues of ecology through courses across ̽̽.”
Building upon the foundation of the Rubenstein School’s Core Curriculum and applied ecology courses, Eleanor took multiple 200-level biology courses in the College of Arts and Sciences, this combination allowed her to add a minor in both Biology and Environmental Studies. Her coursework in ecology, sustainability science, population biology, and more helped Eleanor to realize her interest in the field of marine ecosystem restoration, which she plans to pursue following graduation.
“From the core curriculum to sociobiology, all of my classes were really holistic,” said Eleanor. “I learned the hard science, applied skills, and was able to explore the social dynamics of ecology as well.”
Work
Eleanor worked all through her college career, juggling her time between classes, hands-on lab experience, conservation field work, and local restaurant shifts. She joined the Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory as an undergraduate researcher at the end of her junior year to work with Rubenstein School PhD student Lindsey Carlson, who studies stream ecology in Alaska. Eleanor helped to log data from historical stream samples dating back as far as 2001.
“I worked on diatom identification,” explained Eleanor. “For that particular region in Alaska, diatom levels are a good indicator of ecosystem health.”
Eleanor also interned with the Warren Conservation Commission in Warren, Vermont in the summer of 2021. Her work focused on invasive species research and removal. She created maps detailing locations of large invasive knotweed patches, researched their effect on the surrounding ecosystem, and applied specialized techniques to remove knotweed from the region.
While the lab and field work provided valuable experience to supplement her studies, some of Eleanor’s fondest work memories were from her restaurant jobs in Burlington and Winooski.
“I started working at Our House Bistro in Winooski the spring semester of my sophomore year, right about when things started to open up after the COVID lockdown,” said Eleanor. “It was a fun, social place to work, and I managed to fit shifts in after classes and on weekends.”
Eleanor also took on seasonal work at Burlington’s iconic Spot on the Dock restaurant, where she plans to return for one more summer after graduating in May 2023.
Rugby
Rugby was arguably the most influential and transformative part of Eleanor’s time at ̽̽, bringing together class, work, and play. Eleanor joined Women’s Club Rugby as a first-year student and became a part of a large, tight-knit group. With a team of approximately 50 women, Eleanor quickly created friendships spanning all corners of ̽̽.
“It’s a fun, physical sport, and it really feels like its own community within the broader University community,” said Eleanor.
In her sophomore year, Eleanor was elected President of Women’s Club Rugby, a position she held for two years that came with a whole new learning experience. Eleanor took on budgeting, fiscal decision making, project management, team communications, and more.
“I felt like I was getting a degree in Rugby,” she said heartily.
Leading a team of 50 fellow students gave Eleanor experience in program administration, communication, and team building. To recognize and celebrate her contributions, she received “Club Sports Leader of the Year” in Spring 2022.
What next?
After her summer in Burlington, Eleanor plans to drive back to California and become a divemaster—a valued certification in the field of marine ecosystem restoration. She also hopes to travel as schedule disruptions due to the pandemic hindered her opportunities to study abroad while at ̽̽.
“I have completed some of my dive certifications but not all of them,” said Eleanor. “I’d like to land somewhere where I can gain international work experience while getting the certification. Maybe the South Pacific. The nice thing is that I can go anywhere.”