Alumni beyond Edgehill: Sam Olivares-Mejia '18
In this feature, we check in with PDS/USN alumni in all walks of life, all over the world for a look at all that life beyond Edgehill can entail.
By Sierra Smith, Communications Specialist
Five years after leaving the halls of 2000 Edgehill, Sam Olivares-Mejia '18 is spending her days as a data management intern for Scientists in Parks, an internship program in partnership with the Geological Society of America and Americorps.
Gaining valuable insight into working as a scientist in the environmental field, Olivares-Mejia is based out of the Sonoran Desert Inventory and Monitoring Network in Tucson, Arizona, which monitors the vital signs of water, vegetation, and wildlife in the region. In her role, Olivares-Mejia stays busy; she's worked in over 10 parks and, most recently, spent time surveying 30 miles of the Rio Grande via canoe.
In between adventures, Olivaras-Mejia took a few minutes to catch up with her alma mater.
If you or someone you know is doing great work beyond Edgehill, please complete the form here to be considered for future installments of this series.
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Five years after leaving the halls of 2000 Edgehill, Sam Olivares-Mejia '18 is spending her days as a data management intern for Scientists in Parks, an internship program in partnership with the Geological Society of America and Americorps.
Gaining valuable insight into working as a scientist in the environmental field, Olivares-Mejia is based out of the Sonoran Desert Inventory and Monitoring Network in Tucson, Arizona, which monitors the vital signs of water, vegetation, and wildlife in the region. In her role, Olivares-Mejia stays busy; she's worked in over 10 parks and, most recently, spent time surveying 30 miles of the Rio Grande via canoe.
In between adventures, Olivaras-Mejia took a few minutes to catch up with her alma mater.
Q: Please share a favorite memory from your time at 2000 Edgehill.
A: Some of my favorite moments were the day-to-day interactions I had with my classmates — playing cards in the library, competing in annual advisory tournaments, and waiting around in the hallways between classes. Having been at USN for 13 years, you grow to appreciate the community around you even if you don't fully understand it until years later.
Q: How did your USN education prepare you for the work you're doing today?
A: USN's curriculum always emphasized the importance of connecting with nature as early as in Lower School. Our nature walks, Out of These Doors [in seventh grade], and trips to Pisgah gave me the exposure to the outdoors that I wouldn't have gotten to experience otherwise and the ability to respect our relationship to the land. Today, I'm lucky enough to be in a field that continues to cultivate these connections, and I'm so grateful to have learned how to observe the world around me from such a young age.
Q: What's one piece of advice you have for USN students?
A: Don't be afraid to ask questions and put yourself out there! Often the only thing stopping us from success is ourselves, so don't be afraid to reach out and try something new. Either way, you'll learn and grow from that experience.
If you or someone you know is doing great work beyond Edgehill, please complete the form here to be considered for future installments of this series.
School News
List of 3 news stories.
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USN Evening Classes offers mahjong for parents, Middle Schoolers
Students in grades 5-8 and their families can take USN Evening Class 702: Mah and Pah Jong and Me to learn to play a board game together while benefiting USN's need-based scholarship endowment.Read More -
Travel grant takes naturalist to Galápagos Islands
Read MoreThe Helen Meador Summer International Fellowship funded a summer of professional development in South America for Lower School Naturalist Carrie Riley. Through this profound experience, she said she plans to bring these lessons into her teaching, grounding her voice in wonder, joy, and a commitment to protecting the natural world, which she loves. -
Vissepó’s 'Fantastical Views' creates space to connect
The impact of USN’s Art Department is not confined to art studios in the Christine Slayden Tibbott Center. Students often engage with art in ways that transcend traditional classroom learning, such as at the opening reception for artist Yanira Vissepó's “Fantastical Views.”Read More
Athletics News
List of 3 news stories.
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HS athletics recaps for September 11-17
Tiger golfers have officially qualified for the region tournament, and our other teams are not far behind. Volleyball sits near the top of the district, finishing up regular season play next week with Senior Night. Girls soccer continues to hold first place in the district after another 9-0 win, and our cross country runners are chasing after some school records. To round it all out, our mountain bike team traveled to Oakfield to continue to improve on their times for the season. There’s plenty more where that came from- so be sure to come out to the River Campus, Sperling Gym, or out on the road to cheer on our Tigers before their seasons end.Read More -
MS athletics recaps for September 11-17
Middle School volleyball and tennis teams are nearing the final games of their seasons, with the competition heating up while the Tigers play to determine their HVAC rankings. Cross country was finally able to race at the River Campus despite the heat, and our mountain biking team traveled to Oakfield, Tennessee, for a high-temperature race weekend.Read More -
MTB Race #2 Report - Rockabilly Ridge Trails, Oakfield, TN
The MTB team returned to the the twisty trails of tranquil Oakfield, TN on Sept 13th to take part in the second race of the season, as part of the 5-race series hosted by the NICA/TICL League.Read More
Contact
Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
USN Mission:
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.