Student Voices

Sarah Geise, '11

Hometown: Waukesha, Wis.
Major: Geography
Minor: Possible minors in Business Administration and GIS

For Sarah Geise, it only took one class: Introductory to Physical Geography, which she took during the second semester of her freshman year. "I was fascinated," she said. She declared her major in geography and earth science that summer.

"I loved learning about how the world above and beneath my feet was/is formed, and how it is constantly transforming," she said. "The professors I’ve had are amazing. They welcome questions with open arms. They love to be challenged as well as challenge their students. They are also incredibly helpful both in and out of the classroom."

Take Prof. Julio Rivera, she said. "He's taught me so many different ways of analyzing and solving problems. Plus, you almost always leave his office feeling better about the question you had and your day in general."

Sarah said she has loved her geography classes, and adds that she's been fascinated by the courses she's taken outside her major, such as Western Art History. "That's one of the fun things about a liberal arts school."

Favorite class: "GIS, because it has given me the ability to experiment with cartography, which has always fascinated me. ... I've always loved making maps and studying places, and now I have the ability to make my own maps through the ArcGIS program that Carthage uses. Each time we learned a new GIS technique, I was always amazed at the technology that we have at our fingertips."

Toughest class: "GIS, because Julio loves giving us those challenges! I learned an incredible amount, though."

Getting Involved: Sarah is a member of Circle K, a Carthage service organization, and the Belly Dance/Latin Dance Club. "The people are accepting of everyone's abilities and we just like to have fun with our performances."

Favorite spot on campus: "The beach."

Favorite moments at Carthage: "The first month or so of school is great on campus. There's a lot of activity and it's beautiful. I also love working at the library. Most of us joke about moving our beds there and just living there because we work, study and eat in the same building!"

Career goals: "Since starting my studies, I have appreciated both the physical and human sides of geography. I would like to do something to combine these two traits to see how humans impact the physical world. This will probably include research and I am considering teaching so I never have to leave school!"

Student Voices

Alexandra Matzinger, '11

Favorite professor? Julio Rivera. "He has been very influential in my life and my decision to pursue a career in geography." Read more ...

Dan Murray, '11

Favorite class? "Meteorology was a very fun course to take. Professor Zorn made class fun every day and it was very interesting and useful material to learn." Read more ...

Sarah Geise, '11

Career goal? "Since starting my studies, I have appreciated both the physical and human sides of geography. I would like to do something to combine these two traits to see how humans impact the physical world. This will probably include research and I am considering teaching so I never have to leave school!" Read more ...

Faculty Spotlight

Carthage students and recent graduates joined geography professor Joy Mast on a field study in an Arizona forest. Read more.

Student Achievement

Posters on the Hill. Geography student presents research in Washington D.C.

Geography J-Terms

Geography professors have led J-Term study tours to Iceland, China and all over the world. Read more.