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Calandra Turner Tomaszewicz (MAS 2009)

Cali Turner Tomaszewicz's Capstone Project Presentation turned into a job with WSSI, an environmental consulting firm in San Diego

On June 2, 2009 Cali Turner Tomaszewicz presented her capstone project on "San Diego Bay, Sea Turtles and Sustainable Development." After her presentation she was approached by a guest in the audience who is the owner of WSSI, an environmental consulting firm in San Diego who invited her to lunch. That lunch led to starting her new job soon after graduation.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CALI:

Q: You originally applied and were accepted to the MAS MBC program in 2007, but deferred your start until 2008. Why?
I had recently married, and my husband's company needed him to remain in Colorado. So I waited for a year, and then fortunately he was able to begin working in San Diego in late fall of 2008 so that we wouldn't have to be apart for a year.

Q: When you started the program in 2008, you almost immediately became involved in conservation of Green Sea Turtles in San Diego Bay, which ultimately became your Capstone Project. Was this a deliberate decision or did it evolve?
This was a very deliberate decision on my part. Deferring for a year gave me time to take an extra class, do research on my own, and even travel a bit. All this prepared me for knowing that I wanted to study marine turtles, because of the ocean conservation and social-opportunity issues that are directly connected with them: water quality, overfishing, local and international sustainable use of natural resources, etc.

Q: Each year the MAS MBC program hosts a Capstone Symposium where students present their work in a brief 15 minute presentation. Can you tell us about how you found your new employer, or rather how they found you?
I had put a lot of work into my Capstone throughout the entire year, and I realy wanted to make the most of those 15 minutes. I guess it really did pay off since immediately after my talk, I was approached by the owner of WSSI asking me about my plans after graduation. I told him of my plan to go back for my PhD, but that I was looking for something to do for at least the next year. Just a week or so after graduation I was set to start my new job!

Q: What do you anticipate your job will be over the next year?
There seems to be a wide variety of tasks I will be helping with, plus some opportunities for me to potentially guide my own work projects. This is an exciting prospect. So far I have helped with the permitting of various projects taking place throughout the San Diego Bay, as well as conducting and reporting on any monitoring that is stipulated by those same permits. For example: if a development or maintenance project is going to occur in the vicinity of a sensitive marine habitat, then monitoring must be conducted before, during and after construction to ensure that proper techniques and actions are administered and followed.

It has been very helpful that my Capstone project focused on development and monitoring within San Diego Bay, because that is where I will be doing most of my work for this new job!

Q: Midway through the MAS MBC program you decided to apply to a PhD program. Did your studies and Capstone work influence this decision?
That is very likely! I had been out of school for eight years and was excited about being back in a formal education setting again. My work experience during those eight years had been quite varied and provided me the opportunity to really hone in on what I want to do in my career.

Ultimately, I realized that a PhD was the direction my personal career path was taking me. For now, I am extremely happy with the opportunity I have found after completing my Masters. I look forward to gaining more experience that will contribute to my marine conservation career.

Q: It would seem that things just fall into place for you! But we know that you really worked hard in your academic studies and in your volunteer work to make connections. Any advice to others in juggling career goals, realities of university funding, and personal life?
My best advice is to not stop working toward what you believe in. I believe that despite the challenges facing our oceans today - there are many things we can do to make a difference that impacts both the condition of our oceans, and our own communities that rely on coastal and ocean resources. Keeping my eye on the big-picture has helped me not only professionally, but in my personal life as well, keeping a balance and enjoying what I do has been the key for me.

Bio Prior to Entering Program:

Cali is originally from Colorado and has spent the majority of the last 11 years in California. Drawn to the unique major of Environment, Economics, and Policy (EEP) at Claremont McKenna College,  she earned her degree with honors in 2001. Her thesis focused on the struggle between current economic systems and the sustainability of natural resources – specifically fisheries, shade-grown coffee, and timber.

Hands-on experience during a field studies program in the rainforests of Australia provided insight to local communities working to conserve vanishing resources, and also introduced her to the Great Barrier Reef and SCUBA diving.

After college and valuable experiences in the corporate world and animal-care field, she joined the non-profit Oceanographic Teaching Station’s (OTS) Roundhouse Aquarium in Manhattan Beach, CA. OTS works with other southern California aquariums and organizations in efforts to educate the public on local marine habitats and their conservation. As the Administrative Director and Education Co-Director she educated school groups, designed curriculum, secured grants, conducted community outreach presentations and ran summer camp programs.

Before entering the program, she worked with education and environmental mitigation policy-based organizations in Colorado while also continuing to work remotely with OTS creating a “Beachwalker’s Guide to Manhattan Beach.” She also volunteered for NOAA and various ocean education programs, including projects focused on water sheds and climate change.

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