Sustainability Alumni Share Career Insights at SBU Panel
Stony Brook University hosted its annual Sustainability Studies Alumni Panel on April 23 to bring together graduates and current students for an exchange of career insights.
During the Earthstock celebration last month, five alumni from different graduating classes discussed their professional journeys and how their education prepared them for careers in sustainability. The panelists — Jade Blennau (2017), Jessica Kaplan (2016), Justin Fehntrich (2016), Mia Ramirez (2020), and Valiana Melissourgos (2023) — represented diverse career paths in ecosystem conservation, environmental education, coastal resilience, and policy development.
Blennau now works as a coastal resilience and communities coordinator at Peconic Estuary Partnership. She emphasized her continued connection to the university.
“I’m a Seawolf through and through, because I went to Stony Brook for my undergraduate studies and because Stony Brook currently hosts the National Estuary Program fiscally,” Blennau said. “I enjoy interacting with students and offering assistance when I can.”
Blennau explained her motivation for participating in the panel, citing the impact similar events had on her as a student.
“I recall attending such events when I was a student. I was profoundly shaped by that guidance,” she said. “Events like this help show that it’s okay not to have all the answers right away, and there is no perfect pathway for everybody.”
She said it is important to foster students’ curiosity in environmental careers. “The most crucial quality you can possess in this line of work is genuine curiosity. Opportunities arise when you have a strong passion for your research, other people’s work, and creating a sense of community.”
For students attending the event, the panel provided both practical guidance and emotional reassurance.
“I was actually dragged here by my friend,” said Chho Kakita, a marine biology major. “But I’m really glad I came. It’s a very narrow field and sometimes feels uncertain, but hearing the alumni talk about their jobs — and how much they like them — was really encouraging. It reminded me that it’s possible to work hard and eventually enjoy a job I’m passionate about.”
Kayla Fong, an environmental design, policy and planning major, viewed the event as valuable to her educational experience.
“I saw [the panel] in an email and just felt like I had to come,” Fong said. “One of the panelists mentioned how this is still a new field, and you really have to pave your own way. Seeing how they succeeded despite those challenges makes me feel like I can do the same.”
The panelists addressed broader issues facing sustainability students, including job security and the evolving environmental sector. They provided advice on networking, continuing education, and remaining open to new opportunities. A consistent theme was the importance of developing a professional identity aligned with personal values.
“I think it’s important to host more events like these and to have them reach more people,” Fong noted. “There’s a lot of misconception about job security in this field. Panels like this one show that not only are there opportunities, but you can also create your own.”
Organizers said the alumni panel served as a bridge between classroom learning and real-world application, with students hopefully departing with increased knowledge and inspiration to be the next generation of environmental leaders.
– Oluwatoyin Kupoluyi