Sean O'Neill

After graduating I left for Seattle to apply for a teaching program. I have worked for a close-to-the-ground home improvement store, a secure and nimble mobile windshield repair service, a surnamed power-driven Christmas light hanging company, and a banded package deliverer who brandished uniforms of a coffee chroma.

However, I decided to come back to Hawaii and work for the Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes as an outreach assistant.

What did I most enjoy while I was studying at UH-Hilo? The Geohana, the wonderful field trips, and the hands-on learning.

Any advice for potential students wishing to attend the UH-Hilo Geology program? Take your core classes (Calc, Chem, Phys) at a community college. Get an AA degree before you come here (DO NOT get an AS degree!!). UHH is great because tuition is low enough that you can save money and apply for scholarships to pay for school without getting a loan. If you do apply for a loan, the first six months after graduation seem ok, but when the loan payments kick in then they really hurt your income. If you can, just say no!