Ben Scholl keeps a bag in his car packed with three different types of boots, extra sweatshirts and rain gear.
At any moment, the SUNY Morrisville environmental student might find himself in a canoe, trekking through wetlands or digging into the soil to better understand the world beneath his feet. His gear stays close at hand for a reason: in environmental science, learning extends beyond the classroom.
That hands-on approach is already shaping his future in environmental science.
Scholl will graduate on Saturday, May 16 with a Bachelor of Technology degree in environmental and natural resources management (ENRM), joining classmates at SUNY Morrisville’s 1 p.m. ceremony in the Recreation Center, before beginning his next academic adventure. He has been accepted into the highly competitive Master of Science program at James Madison University.
Through the program, he will earn two master’s degrees: one in integrated science and technology and the another in environmental management and sustainability through the University at Malta, a small island country in the Mediterranean Sea. The accelerated program includes six months studying in Virginia and six months abroad at the University of Malta.
For Scholl, graduation is not an ending. It’s the beginning of an exciting new chapter in his academic journey.
“I am very excited about this next step,” he said. “I’ll get to see how different animals, plants and people interact and how those environments are managed in other areas.” He is especially looking forward to the international component, where studying in Malta will offer a new perspective on environmental conservation and ecosystem management.
“This experience will broaden my understanding of environmental issues and introduce me to new approaches for addressing them.”
Scholl didn’t plan a future in environmental science. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, he wanted to pursue a career in video gaming or computers.
“Being on the computer for hours and hours triggered something,” he said. “I remembered how much I loved being in the environment.”
Growing up, Scholl fell in love with hiking and exploring nature with family.
That interest deepened during his senior year in the BOCES New Visions program, where an internship with the Great Swamp Conservancy gave him a hands-on experience in environmental education leading hikes, raising pheasants and maintaining the property.
At SUNY Morrisville, his passion turned into purpose.
Through a combination of coursework and applied learning, he explored a wide range of environmental topics before discovering a particular interest in invasive species.
“One of the things I love about the program is the variety of classes,” he said. “Taking Invasive Species Management, I found an interest I never thought I had.”
Faculty have played a key role in his growth.
“Professors had a profound impact on me,” Scholl said. “Professor Snyder got me out of my comfort zone and pushed me to try new things.”
Those experiences extended well beyond the campus. Scholl contributed to many research projects, including working with Snyder on monitoring Canada Geese populations at Rogers Environmental Education Center and working with him and the Town of Cazenovia and the Cazenovia Lake Association to monitor and remove an invasive frogbit species.
He also completed a six-month internship at Rogers Environmental Education Center where he contributed to research focused on invasive species, experiences that reinforced his interest in environmental management and prepared him for graduate study.
“Morrisville has given me the confidence in myself that I need to be able to complete work efficiently and effectively in a graduate-level setting,” Scholl said. “Being able to work hands-on in various New York ecosystems allows me to know that I will be able to work and understand working in the different locations of my master's degree.”
“I am very excited for Ben to pursue a master’s program and cultivate his passion for the environment,” said Rebecca Hargrave, associate professor of environmental sciences and arboriculture. “Over the last four years, he has continually demonstrated his understanding of the natural world through his coursework and projects. And, he has developed a strong ability to educate others on the environment.”
That passion for environmental education, Scholl said, took root through the immersive, hands-on learning he found at SUNY Morrisville.
“Morrisville paved my way 100 percent,” Scholl said of his academic journey. The college’s small class sizes were a factor in his decision to attend. “They told me my professors would know me and I would know my classmates,” he said. “I wanted a hands-on experience that builds the community and it was close to home.”
If I had just been learning in the classroom and not out in the field, I wouldn’t have known what I wanted to do,” Scholl said. “All of the hands-on learning helped show me what I like to do and how I want to shape my path.”
Outside of academics, Scholl was actively involved on campus. He served as vice president of the Conservation Tri-Society and participated in campus Earth Day and Arbor Day celebrations. He also presented research projects at the college’s annual Applied Learning Conference.
Scholl has clear goals for the future: to become a wetland scientist focused on wetland restoration and to eventually become a professor specializing in wetlands, waterfowl and aquatic ecology.
That aspiration is rooted in the example set by his own professors and the support he has received along the way.
“My parents have been a huge inspiration,” said Scholl, the son of Greg and Elizabeth Scholl of Sylvan Beach. “They’ve always encouraged me to go for my dreams, experience life and never give up.”
