Heather Lea Nazarewicz '08

Hometown: Akron, Ohio

Major: Human Ecology

Eco League School I Attend: College of the Atlantic

Where I Did My Eco League Experience: Alaska Pacific University

Most Dramatic Difference Between the Two Environments: College of the Atlantic is located on an island in a small town, and Alaska Pacific is located close to a major downtown area. You might think that the difference in weather would be a big change, but to me the shock of a slightly larger school and larger area was more dramatic.

Courses I Took: Psychology Adjustment and Changing, Environmental Ethics, Print Journalism, World Religions

Fun Things to Do in the Area: Hiking, climbing, skiing, snowboarding, hunting, fishing; climbing wall and weight room (right on campus); Moose's Tooth Pub and Pizzeria, Alaska Native Heritage Center, Alaska Zoo, Downtown Sunday Market, Anchorage Museum History of Art

My Best Excursion/Adventure There: Going on a whale watch in Seward, Alaska.

Best Time to Go: Fall

What to Read Up on Before You Go: Anything about Anchorage or anywhere else you want to go in Alaska. Maps of Anchorage might be useful, especially of the downtown area. Read up on the local bus system so you can get used to the routes (every APU student gets a student ID that can also be used as a bus pass).

What is Unique About the People There: Many people are native to Alaska. However, a lot of people come from all over, especially from “The Lower 48,” as they call the rest of the continental U.S.

Faculty Member I Most Enjoyed Working With: Noreen Tobin helped me and all of her students explore and focus on who we are and why we act the way we do, focusing on the APU's “active learning” promise by engaging us in various activities. Maureen Austin helped me to further explore my worldviews, and Kim Rich opened me up to a new form of writing and helped me to expand my writing skills.

Reasons to Participate in an Eco League Experience: The Eco League program gives you the opportunity to visit another school that shares similar ideas as your home school, but may have different perspectives to understand or explore these ideas. If you're feeling a little lost and overwhelmed with what you plan to do after you graduate, traveling to a new school can help open up new philosophies to you. Simply put, The Eco League program is a great way to expand your knowledge and to travel to a new area.