Paige Sorensen ’19
Environmental Science Gives Student New Perspective
“I originally came across Merrimack through my recruitment process for Women’s Ice Hockey. Upon visiting the campus and meeting with faculty, it was clear that I had a unique opportunity to make my college experience my own at Merrimack.” Paige is a recent alumni of Merrimack, graduating in 2019 with her degree in Environmental Sciences & Sustainability and Music. Paige’s passion for the environment led to her becoming president of the student-led group Green Team, an environmental club on campus. Additionally, Paige was part of jazz ensemble, concert choir, the honors program, and various honors societies.
“Merrimack offered multiple degrees of support that I took advantage of during my time – from no shortage of student organizations that represent countless student interests and backgrounds (e.g., musical groups, student interest clubs, LGBTQIA+ community events, among many others), to varying degrees of religious and spiritual involvement which I found myself participating in (e.g., Interfaith Alliance, meditation, and more), Merrimack provided countless opportunities and resources for students to cultivate their own experience. While my personal background and college experience may have differed from many others who stepped on campus, I felt like everyone had a chance to find their community in whatever step that meant to them.”
“The size of Merrimack was perfect for individualized attention and flexibility in my academic experience, and despite being so far away from my home state of Minnesota, I felt comfortable in the community from the start.”
Paige looks back at the time she spent at Merrimack happily. “My education at Merrimack provided a solid foundation for me to achieve a higher education degree in my specialized field of sustainability/climate change science. The interdisciplinary design of many of Merrimack’s courses and programs set the stage for me to pursue a career in an interdisciplinary field, and my balance of numerous responsibilities, including athletic and academic extracurriculars, is an important skill I continue to utilize in my professional career today.”
Paige was also able to take advantage of the relationships our students can develop with caring faculty at Merrimack. “I had the fortunate opportunity to develop a close personal friendship with Dr. Laura Moore Pruett of the Visual & Performing Arts Department throughout my time at Merrimack. It is difficult to distill her mentorship into a singular example. Nevertheless, she instilled in me the importance of active listening, meaning to take into consideration your surroundings and situational context, and to continually challenge yourself to think deeper, listen harder, and never cease to ask ‘Why’.”
