The College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science's Natural Resource Career Fair continues a legacy of genuine investment in student success passed down from CFRES faculty and alumni to the next generation of professionals.
RJ Laverne, a Davey Tree Expert Company representative, Tech alum, and adjunct professor, opened the 2024 fair by likening the event to one of his prized possessions: a compass he bought in 1979, not long after he became a Husky.
"I think that for the students that will participate today, you may just find the right person at one of these tables to point you in the right direction. This could be the career compass that puts you on the first step towards a successful career," said Laverne, who earned his forestry degree in 1980.
He emphasized the impact Michigan Tech's faculty had on his career, particularly former forestry head Gene Hesterberg. "I was, on a good day, a mediocre student. Despite my poor academic performance at other institutions, Dr. Hesterberg took a chance on me," said Laverne.
After a long career including 28 years with Davey Tree, Laverne eagerly reinvests his success in Tech students as both an adjunct professor with CFRES and Davey Tree's manager of education and training. The reward for these investments, according to Laverne, is experienced new employees with "a desire to do quality work that ultimately benefits humans that has as much to do with the spirit of the College as academic quality."
More than 20 employers attended the fair, some of them traveling long distances to seek Tech students' skill sets, spirit, and experience.
"I know what levels of training I received back when I got my degree. I know the engineering quality; my father and my brother both went here as engineers. I knew the high-level standards that were there. So yeah, I'd love to have a Michigan Tech grad working for us," said Tree Care Enterprises arborist John Richards, a 1977 forestry graduate.
Many Tech students find their career paths through the Natural Resource Career Fair and similar CFRES recruiting events. Forestry grad Shawna Carr '24 is one of Laverne's former students who found her path with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Carr works as what she calls a "classic forester," working in timber management, invasive species, fire prevention, and outreach. Recalling her experience with the Natural Resource Career Fair as a student in 2023, Carr described it as "Overwhelming at first, but people were very enthusiastic and there was a good variety (of employers)."
That feeling of being overwhelmed and intimidated was echoed by several students as they left the fair, including wildlife ecology and conservation major Meghan Boelens '26. "It was intimidating. It got a tiny bit less intimidating, but I am glad I walked around with a group of people. We were all the same major so we all were there to make each other not as scared," Boelens said.
Though the attending Huskies may have felt intimidated or overwhelmed, their nerves didn't seem to show to employers.
"The students were all excellent. They asked a lot of great questions. They were very inquisitive. I was impressed with how well-versed they were with job searching," said Chad Andresen, biological science technician with the US Fish and Wildlife Service Marquette Biological Station.
Students' discerning questions made it clear the fair isn't just about recruiters finding future employees. Huskies weren't just looking for any job, they were seeking the right career fit for their goals, and employers with strong answers to those questions stood out to students.
"Talking to NEON (the National Ecological Observatory Network, managed by Battelle) stuck out to me," said wildlife ecology and conservation major Sadie Bartels '26. "They were really passionate. Everything they were saying was super applicable to me if I were to apply; the housing options and the differences between the positions. So that helped me visualize what it could be like if I were to apply to some of the positions."
CFRES students also had a few words of wisdom for Huskies considering attending future Natural Resource Career Fairs.
"It is super intimidating, but once you talk to the first person, it's super easy," said Bartels. "They all want you to apply to their positions, so they are all super friendly and really informative."
Michigan Technological University is an R1 public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan's flagship technological university offers more than 185 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
