Second Place Schlumberger Essay by Stephanie Lennon

Shoes are an essential part of every girls life. Shoes help make an outfit, whether its your brand new Sperry's for your first day of high school, perfectly broken-in pointe shoes for your ballet lesson or those heels for prom you searched for months to find. Shoes make everything just a little more perfect. When I think of my future as an environmental engineer, I don't picture a pair of Sperry's or heel, I picture waders. For those who don't know, waders look like rain boots with attached waterproof overalls. I may look dorky wearing them, but that's half the fun. Wearing waders means that I am going to have a great day filled with water sampling. Nothing gets better than spending a hot July day in the sun taking water samples at a local river or beach. Who wants to spend their day sitting at a desk looking at a computer screen, I sure don't! Wearing waders through a rushing river is an experience like no other. You feel the cool water pressing against your legs, like you're standing in quicksand, but you can move around. It does get tricky when you slip and fall in the river, but who doesn't want to accidentally go swimming on the job? My shoes will lead me in many different directions, all of them unconventional; I'm not a conventional girl, I'm an engineer and proud of it.