From Home to Global Impact: How a UF Online Geography Degree Fueled a Passion for Environmental Change

“It was just horrific, and it changed my life,” King said. “I came home and realized I would never be the same if I didn’t try to do something that made the situation better for people who were living like that.” 

The experience led King to UF Online, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Geography with a specialization in Environmental Geoscience and a certificate in Geospatial Information Analysis. King earned the geology degree online in the same home she’s lived in for 20 years, all while balancing a part-time job at Publix and a family that includes three children, grandchildren, and a 13-year-old dog named CoCo. 

How a former photography major found her Environmental specialization

Growing up in Alabama, King always yearned to see the wider world. She devoured books and encyclopedias, learning as much as she could about other countries and cultures. As an adult she began to travel extensively, on trips that included a 19-day sojourn in China and a 19-day expedition in Cambodia. 

Those experiences dovetailed with the bachelor’s degree in photography that King received from the University of Central Florida in 2005. Afterward she worked as a photographer and a journalist, along the way chronicling her travels through her lens. She considered becoming an environmental photographer, using photos to bring awareness of the problems of the planet. Guatemala, though, left her transformed. 

“After that, I just knew I had to figure out a way to work in underserved communities and help people obtain basic natural resources,” she said. 

King’s drive was evident to Dr. Gabriela Hamerlinck, an associate instructional professor in the Department of Geography. “One of my favorite things about teaching is hearing stories like this,” she said. “Students who are driven by these experiences are the ones who are going to change the world.” 

To do that, though, King needed more than a photography degree. She chose UF Online because the geography program had the specialization she was looking for. “It was very centered around environmental issues, which especially appealed to me,” she said. “I would be learning about the Earth’s concepts and processes that contribute to the environment. It was just a win-win for me. I looked at many, many programs, and that was the only one that had what I really wanted.” 

GIS and summer research 

It was such an ideal fit, King didn’t apply to any other programs. She particularly enjoyed her classes involving Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which uses computers to analyze and display geographic information related to a specific location. “The more I got into it, the more I felt it could help me make a better impact,” she said. “My instructor was very knowledgeable and patient, and the structure of the class made it conducive to someone like me coming in with no training in that area.” 

King was able to take advantage of resources ranging from advanced technology tools and library access to supportive academic advisors who guide course and career planning, and she encourages future UF Online students to do the same. She was also accepted into the GeoGator Summer Research Program, an opportunity for students to develop marketable, hands-on skills through direct participation in active research projects alongside Geography faculty. 

“The summer research program definitely helped me gain confidence,” she said. This allowed me to be a part of sophisticated conversations that would help me learn to better articulate important subject matter.”  

In the 12-week program, King worked as a student researcher under Dr. Anwar Sounny-Slitine. Her projects studied the impacts of greenhouses gases from incinerators and landfills, and the effects of Superfund sites on nearby populations. “Memrie was such an engaged student, finding ways to participate and be involved remotely,” said Dr. Hamerlinck, who coordinated the program. “Even though she is a UF Online student, she would come in person when she was able.” 

The entire UF Online student experience “filled a lot of gaps for me,” King said. “All of my classes contributed to a whole package that really helped propel me further.” 

Geography graduate crusades for clean water 

The Geography program at UF Online focuses on key issues within the human-environmental landscape and aims to cultivate specialized skills that are in high demand across today’s job market. Geography students learn career-ready skills at UF Online such as GIS, aerial photo interpretation, spatial analysis and computer-based cartography that can be used in endeavors such as regional planning, map production and environmental assessments. 

“Students completing Geography degrees, minors and certificates are taking coursework that blends theoretical insight with applied experiences,” Dr. Hamerlinck said. “Because the curriculum is deliberately interdisciplinary—linking social sciences, Earth science and technology, just to name a few—students who arrive with gaps in climate, data science or regulatory frameworks will find clear, supportive pathways to graduate study or professional certifications.” 

For King, the goal is clean water. Armed with her bachelor’s in geography, she’s actively seeking work in the government sector in a GIS capacity. She’s also preparing to take the Certified Floodplain Manager certification test so she can enroll as a reservist in hazard management with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

“My hope is to learn how water is managed through practice and policy at a municipal level,” she said. “This way, I can gain real-world experience and apply what I have learned to help people.” 

Dr. Hamerlinck is excited to see it happen. “The best part of my academic career has been watching students succeed,” she said. “I can’t wait to see what Memrie does next.”