Geology Student Spotlight
Name: Matthew Schaffart
Major: Geology
Year in School: Senior
Where are you from?
I am from Omaha, Nebraska.
What gets you excited about Geology?
Rocks!
Favorite Geology class or instructor so far? Why?
My favorite class/professor was Structural Geology with Dr. Burberry. It was a very interesting class and Dr. Burberry was always very good at getting people jazzed about her field of study. She always gave 110% when teaching and she was very compassionate when it came to unforeseen circumstances. I had a rough patch in my life during that class and Dr. Burberry still saw me through and I learned a lot.
What are you excited about doing after graduation?
So I am a bit of an unconventional geology student. I will actually be entering into a career in law enforcement. I really love geology and sometimes just having an arts and sciences degree can catapult your career forward if applied in a clever way. I do have a criminal justice minor just in case (along with the math minor). Proving you can do something very difficult academically certainly looks good on a resume regardless of applicability. I have a job lined up with LPD and I will be entering their academy in the summer of 2023 after I graduate in the spring.
What is a goal you have accomplished as a Husker?
A goal of mine that I accomplished was when I successfully ran the UNL Taekwondo Club as President my senior year. I had been Vice president for a few years, and it was nice to contribute more to our organization.
What do you wish you would have known when you started as a Geology Major that you know now?
I wish I started collecting rocks and minerals sooner because bringing cool rocks to geology professors office hours is a wonderful icebreaker. Not to mention it is a great way to get them to like you. Certainly helps if you're looking to ask any of them to be a reference for you. You also get to look at some of their collection and learn a lot of cool things that you might not have learned inside the classroom.
What do you hope to cross off your “bucket list” in the next few years?
I want to go to the rock show in Tucson Arizona. Definitely a dream of mine to be surrounded by like minded nerds and reasonably priced specimens. Getting a house and starting a family would be cool too I guess.
If you would like to see yourself in the spotlight, please contact Doug for more information.