Hi, my name is Kaitlyn Bednar but everyone calls me Kati. I am currently a Student Trainee Hydrologist with the California Water Science Center (CAWSC) in Sacramento. I am also a full-time geology and geography student at California State University of Sacramento, and a part-time student at American River College within their G.I.S. certificate program. It may seem like a lot, but I enjoy keeping busy and learning new things.

How did you start working for the USGS?

I first heard about the Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) with the USGS during my sophomore year of high school from my chemistry teacher. She knew how interested and excited I was about science and highly recommended that I look into the position and apply. Before I knew it, I was being offered the position and started my student employment with the USGS while finishing up high school.

Once I graduated, I immediately knew I wanted to continue to pursue a career with the USGS and declared my major as geology. Over the next few years, because of my student employment and involvement in geology, I was also exposed to the fields of geography and G.I.S., and converted into the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP). That played a huge role with my decision to also pursue an additional degree and certificate to contribute to the skills I use every day at work when trying to locate field sites and querying their corresponding data.

What is a day in your life like?

Right now I work in Data Management where I mainly establish new sites and also work with historical data and other unique data sets that require special attention. For example, I have looked at descriptions of sites that were recorded as far back as the 1900s and used G.I.S. data to locate them. That process helps us to pinpoint and monitor exact sites overtime. I also help people enter their censored data into the National Water Information System (NWIS), making sure their metadata is not only correct, but that it also fully describes their dataset and matches exactly in both places.

During spring, summer, and winter breaks from school, I try and get out in the field as much as possible with any group that needs an extra set of hands. So far, I have had the opportunity to work with projects studying groundwater, surface water, soils, gases, and some biological samples that have allowed me to gain a wide range of experience by completing tasks above my level. In the near future, I hope to transition into a position that has more responsibility, as a technician or hydrologist, and to be in charge of my own field runs.

What is your most memorable experience with the USGS so far?

I have had so many memorable experiences working with the USGS that this is a hard decision to make. If I had to choose just one, I would have to say I will never forget the summer of 2010 when I had the opportunity to collect groundwater samples for water level measurements and water quality analysis. The field crew and I were collecting samples along the west coast all the way up from Sacramento to Crescent City and back. Never have I seen as much of California as I did that summer collecting samples. There is nothing more exciting than being pushed out of the “usual” and into an unfamiliar place that is filled with natural beauty, talking to people I would never have met, and doing the job I continue to love that always has had some unexpected twist waiting for me to solve.

What do you see as the most valuable part of your work?

The most valuable part of my work has been having the opportunity to gain experience in all areas by collecting, processing, and analyzing samples to establish them in our database. In my opinion, everyone should have at least one opportunity to see how each step is performed so that they too can have a general understanding of how what they do affects the bigger picture.

What are your future plans?

While finishing up with my degrees, I plan to continue working with the USGS and get out in the field as much as possible traveling throughout California and wherever else the USGS takes me. With the USGS I hope to fully gain an understanding of the hydrological issues that we are going to face in the near future, particularly those dealing with climate change and water availability.

Why is the USGS a good place for students to work?

I would have to say that the USGS is a great place to work because they taught me many life values that any teenager could benefit from. I am most thankful to have such amazing coworkers who have not only taught me essential work related skills but have also shared valuable life experiences that have inspired me to be the person I am today. They have been supportive of not only my career related goals, but also have been understanding of my personal goals and have put my education first. Many of my coworkers are now even close friends with whom I can see myself remaining in contact many years down the road.

If you would like to know more about me or what I do, please don’t hesitate to contact me at kbednar@usgs.gov and introduce yourself. I love meeting new people and sharing stories.

Hi there, I’m Marnelli Taasin and I am currently a student trainee working in Administrative Management with the USGS in Hawaii. I am also a part-time MBA student at Hawaii Pacific University (HPU), studying towards a concentration in Management.  My life as an MBA student and USGS employee is definitely busy, but very rewarding.  It is busy due to the strong need to manage my workload from both school and work, but it is also very rewarding because of the many challenges that turn into accomplishments after hard work and perseverance.

How did you start working for the USGS?

The opportunity to become an employee for the USGS was given to me by one of my professors at HPU when I was about to graduate with my BSBA in Accounting and Finance. I was very fortunate when my professor approached me with the chance to work for the USGS because I was looking for a great place to gain real-world experience and enhance the skills and knowledge I learned while in college. After I completed my undergraduate degree, I enrolled in the MBA program at HPU and became a USGS employee through the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP). I now work at the USGS Pacific Islands Water Science Center (PIWSC).

What is a day in your life like?

A day working for the PIWSC is never the same, and this is one of the reasons why I call the USGS a place for learning and growth. While I know I still have a lot to learn, the duties that I’ve been provided so far continue to challenge my overall knowledge and improve the quality of my skills.

I always start my mornings by pulling up the Administrative Calendar on my computer just so I get a good perspective of the work that needs to be accomplished that day, what needs to be completed by the end of the month, and so forth.  Working for the USGS has definitely led me to an environment of multi-tasking and engaging in daily activities such as: the reconciliation of charge card statements, payment of all referencing and non-referencing invoices, generating down payment requests for cooperators, inputting purchase requisitions, working with sales and purchase orders, preparing monthly budget-expense reports, and managing vehicle records. In addition, my responsibilities as a student trainee have expanded to assisting with budget management and development with thorough guidance and support from the rest of the PIWSC administrative team.

What is your most memorable experience with the USGS so far?

So far, one of the most memorable experiences with the USGS was having the privilege of training in the mainland to prepare for the newly implemented Financial and Business Management System (FBMS). I’ve lived in Hawaii the majority of my life, and having been given the chance to train in California and Washington State made me realize that there is a much bigger world out there to learn from and explore. During training, I met a number of USGS employees from other states who shared a lot of their knowledge and experiences with me. I enjoyed every minute of training and meeting these great people, who have impacted my career goals more than they will ever know.

What do you see as the most valuable part of your work?

The USGS is comprised of many teams working together to fulfill its mission. The administrative responsibilities I perform for the USGS highly support the planning associated with its science and research. In order to provide reliable scientific information, project funds need to be well spent and appropriately managed. In addition, the ability to monitor the inflow and outflow of these funds assures that the scientific data offered by the USGS is done in the most cost-effective manner possible.

What are your future plans?

I will graduate with my MBA in 2013 from HPU, and the first thing I am going to embrace is the fact that I will now have no homework to do after getting off work. Aside from this though, I would love to start working full-time in the Administrative Management field and get more involved in community activities. I work with a lot of great people here in Honolulu, and some of us have already participated in two small marathons as a group. I definitely plan on continuing to stay active and promoting a healthy lifestyle in addition to learning more about budget management and development.

Why is the USGS a good place for students to work?

The USGS is a great place for youth and students to establish a career, because it’s not only an agency of science, but also an agency of support and mentoring. As a student, the USGS will support your education and definitely enhance the skills and knowledge you’ve learned in school. Its environment will also teach you to become a great team member as well as a leader, and this mentoring will always benefit the goals you want to accomplish in life.

What would you like people to know about the USGS?

What I want people to know about the USGS is the fact that it is more than just an agency. It is a family that consists of people from all across the nation. Each person that is a part of the USGS family contributes and plays a role in fulfilling its mission to provide high-quality scientific information. Working together is what we do best and sharing our knowledge with one another and the public is what we are known for.