UToledo Provided Path for Senior to Discover His Passion for Environmental Science

Brett Polak found his love for environmental science at UToledo.

"I started my college career at the University of Michigan, where I was studying psychology and neuroscience. I really enjoyed the academic side of things, but after my first year, I was questioning whether the job field was really for me," Polak said. "I didn't want to be stuck in a lab or a cubicle, but I also didn't know what I wanted to do aside from that. After my third semester there, the pandemic came around and locked everything down. All classes went online and I really struggled to keep up without a physical classroom.

"I needed to make a change, so I decided to enroll in UToledo, where several members of my family graduated before me," he added.

Polak said he struggled with virtual learning, so he decided to wait until in-person classes had returned. During the time away, he discovered a new passion.

"I had time to think about what I really wanted to do for a living. I have always been fascinated with nature and felt at home whenever I had the chance to hike or camp, so it seemed like the right thing to pursue this as a career path," he said. "I wasn't really sure this was the right choice, but I knew I had to jump back in. If I didn't start now, then I might never go back to school. So, I went ahead and met with my advisor to get started on a degree in environmental science."

Polak said that although it was difficult to take on new classes, a new city and feeling behind compared to his peers, he embraced the discomfort and pushed through.

His classes led him to Greening UToledo Through Service Learning (GUTS), a program that creates and maintains native landscapes at UToledo to increase sustainability, conservation, and biodiversity through the work of students and undergraduate service-learning volunteers.

"The first time I really felt at home on campus was during my GUTS volunteer work," Polak said. "Students are required to put in a certain number of hours for credit in some of the introductory environmental courses, but I soon found myself volunteering outside of these required sessions. Getting to work with other students outside, in the greenhouse, getting our hands dirty - I felt comfortable here for the first time."

Dr. Todd Crail, a Distinguished University Lecturer in the Department of Environmental Sciences, said watching Polak blossom was a pleasure and a privilege.

"When he arrived, he was untethered - unsure of what he wanted to do and even unsure whether the effort was worth it," Crail said. "My task was to convince him that his potential was real; he just had to step through the proverbial door. Once he got moving, he ran through it so fast I don't think he even remembers it."

Graduating in May, Polak's work experience in GUTS and on campus led him to jobs with Toledo Metroparks and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Polak said he is thankful for the opportunities UToledo provided him.

"I knew there was a reason I chose this path," he said. "I just needed to wait and see where it would take me."