Bucknell Students Are Making the Most of Their Extended Winter Break

After a semester like no other, Bucknell students have embarked on a winter break unlike any before.

They left Bucknell as scheduled on Nov. 20 and will return for the first day of classes on Feb. 1, a schedule that creates a winter break more than twice the normal length.

In their 73 days away from campus, students will enjoy a hard-earned opportunity to relax, recharge and celebrate the successful completion of an on-campus semester during a global pandemic.

Many Bucknell students have opted to maximize this extra time, devoting their 10-plus weeks away to impactful research projects, lifelong hobbies and resume-building internships.

You won't find every answer in a textbook or a classroom.

That's what led Allison Bergeron '22 of Pittsburgh, Pa., to major in geology at Bucknell. She was drawn to the program's opportunities for hands-on learning in the places where geology is meant to be studied: outside.

This passion for exploration sparked Bergeron's plan for winter break: She's working 40-hour weeks at a day care center near Pittsburgh, hoping to save up enough money to purchase and renovate a van she'll use to travel the country after graduating.

"Bucknell inspired me to seek a future that is filled with adventure and curiosity, something I hadn't necessarily sought out before," she says. "I'm hoping that traveling in a van will allow me to see geologic features around the country at a lower cost."

Bergeron plans to buy a used passenger van with a high roof. Beyond that, the van's features are irrelevant because she plans to renovate the inside herself, adding a full-size bed, shower, functioning kitchen and counter space.

"It will be a tight fit, but I have been watching lots of YouTube videos and reading various
articles about what it takes to actually renovate a van like this," she says.

After her travels, Bergeron plans to work in outdoor education, calling on her experiences with Bucknell's Outdoor Education & Leadership program as she helps future generations. One day, she dreams of buying a bus and transforming it into a mobile geology lab for kids.

"But that is much further down the road," she says. "Combining my love of geology with my passion for the outdoors will give me a fulfilled life in the outdoors."

To view these students click here: https://bucknell.meritpages.com/achievements/Bucknell-Students-Are-Making-the-Most-of-Their-Extended-Winter-Break/129441