Alumni Profiles - Meet Monique Barone
Hometown: Smithville, New Jersey
Year of Graduation: 2003
Major: Wildlife Conservation
Minor: Entomology
Undergraduate Campus Involvement: Delta Gamma
Current position of employment or education:
I work for Department of Homeland Security.
Describe your best College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) experience:
One of my best experiences would be enjoying Ag Day with my friends. I also enjoyed my field trips during Bird Taxonomy with Dr. Roth and getting to explore Delaware’s bird species.
Which CANR course was your favorite and why?
One of my favorite courses was Wildlife Research Techniques with Dr. Bowman. The course provided information regarding sampling techniques and data analysis, which I used during my year with AmeriCorps and continue to use. I especially enjoyed the lab portion, where we were able to use the information we learned during the lecture and apply it outside in the field.
Tell us about your current position or program of study and what led you to that field.
After college, I joined AmeriCorps. I was a Watershed Ambassador for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. I did water quality testing and environmental education programs throughout the state. After AmeriCorps, I was employed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). I worked at the USDA training center for Plant Protection and Quarantine Officers and Custom and Border Patrol Agricultural Specialists. I worked with training specialists and other lab technicians to help train the officers in insect identification. One of my responsibilities was making a photographic dichotomous key for each insect.
How did your CANR experiences prepare you for your career or post-graduate education?
My CANR experiences really prepared me for the professional world. It gave me the knowledge and tools to use in my everyday life. I had great mentors and an excellent advisor that guided me through my college life.
What advice do you have for students interested in your field?
Advice that I would give to students interested in the field would be to study, get experience, and network! Experience is everything in the professional world and knowing others in the field is fantastic too. Opportunities can always arise from your experiences and to whom you know.
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