On January 12, Scott Wells, a Warmwater Fisheries Biologist with the Department of Environmental Conservation, and Josh Foust, a Warmwater Fisheries Biologist Technician and 2015 Graduate of Averill Park High School, spoke with the Internship and Careers class taught by Kaitlyn Rosemarino and the Student Angler Club advised by Darlene Hunter and Bernice Gawron.
Averill Park CSD is fortunate to have many lakes and streams that are great habitat for a variety of fish. Wells and Foust explained that while these waters are clean, climate change and invasive species are a continuous threat to them.
The guest speakers also highlighted their education and career paths. Wells’ advice was “Do what you love.” He said he rarely has a bad day at work.
Foust shared a moment in high school when he decided that he wanted to work in natural resources. He received an 89 on a Science Regents and needed a score of 90 in order to enroll in the Honors Science Course. It was also a requirement for admissions into the college that he was applying to. Although he was devastated, he decided to not give up on his dream. He wrote letters to the principal, teachers, and Board of Education. He was allowed to attend the class and from there, he never looked back.
