Students Jack Collier’24, Garrison Ferone’23, Rayven Ferber’23, and Phidor Kong’23 are among over 60 Beloiters who presented at the 2022 Beloit and Beyond Conference, created to allow students to demonstrate what they have learned through study abroad, internships, community engagement, and other experiences. Student presentations covered a diverse range of topics, including chemistry and mathematics, archaeology and education, student government, and much more.

Other events connected with the conference included the Local to Global Career Fair and the Global Experience and Channels Fair. The Local to Global fair helped students build relationships beyond campus and explore places they can volunteer, intern, and work or learn after graduating. At the Global Experience fair, students spoke with faculty and student representatives from Career Channels and the Global Experience Office.

The presentations illustrated how the opportunities and experiences students cultivated during their time at Beloit have provided them with the skills necessary to thrive beyond graduation. through academics, extracurricular activities, and settings abroad.

Here are highlights from just four of their stories.

Jack Collier’24

Learning by digging

Jack participated in an archaeological field school over the summer of 2022, working on two sites in the Republic of North Macedonia that date back to the Middle Paleolithic era. Field schools offer students interested in archaeology the chance to get hands-on experience at field sites. They are held all over the world, covering a wide range of time periods and locations.

Jack shared his experience and provided some information on how these field schools work. “I hope other students who might be interested in doing something similar would learn from my experience,” he said.

Rayven Ferber’23

From dining room table to becoming a first responder

Rayven shared their experience working as an emergency medical technician (EMT) student in 2020, during the early months of the pandemic. That summer, Rayven attended and completed an EMT program in Santa Cruz and Berkeley, Calif. They were never able to interact with real patients during their training because of the pandemic, but in their sophomore year at Beloit, Rayven was directed to the South Beloit Fire department to start putting their new skills into practice.

“I went from sitting at the dining room table in a Zoom classroom to working in the back of an ambulance with Beloit and South Beloit’s first responders,” Rayven said.

Garrison Ferone’23

Turtles all the way down

A double major in Spanish and biology, Garrison studied abroad via the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador in the Galapagos. He took scuba dives with overly playful sea lions, observed large fish in the Tiputini River, and conducted mark and recapture research on endangered green sea turtles. He also conducted research in the Amazon.

Along the way, Garrison developed some additional insights on how he connected with his fellow students and locals, and how those connections opened doors for further research. “The experience perfectly combined my two interests,” he said.

Garrison Ferone’23 at right, front after measuring, weighing, and checking the respiration of a sea turtle in the Galapagos islands.

Garrison Ferone’23 scuba diving in Santa Cruz.

Students spot an Orca whale their first day out on a field trip.

Phidor Kong’23

Being happy in the land of 1,000 lakes

A political science and environmental justice and citizenship major from Cambodia, Phidor studied in Finland through the University of Eastern Finland, where she experienced a different approach to international education. “Understanding Finnish culture and society helped me see how policy and the environment play a role in the daily life of Finns,” she said.

The experience also helped her develop new personal and social skills, she said, cooking for herself, riding her bike to classes, and engaging in nature — just like the Finns.

Phidor Kong’23 at the one of ten thousand Finnish lakes surrounded by thick forest, where the water was clean enough to drink.

Phidor Kong’23 on a walk during winter in Finland.