Q&A WITH Olivia Hamelin ’23

Olivia Hamelin ’23, who recently graduated with a degree in Environmental Studies and an Environmental Conservation Certificate, answered a few questions about her job at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

How did you become interested in pursuing a major in Environmental Studies?  

I decided to pursue a degree in Environmental Studies because I have a strong connection with nature and am passionate about climate change.

Where are you working now and how long have you been there? 

I work for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the Public Assistance Regional Operations Branch as an Emergency Management Specialist in the Recovery Division.

How did you find your current position? 

I found my current position through an email that was sent out by the Environmental Department at Pace. They emailed me about an open position at FEMA and attached information about the position.

Can you give us an overview of what you do there? 

During “steady-state” or when I am working from the office, I work on closing out projects. Closing out a project ensures that the money the applicant requested to restore, repair or replace damaged facilities, has been granted in the correct amount.

On my first deployment I served as a Disaster Survivor Assistant Specialist (DSA). As a DSA Specialist, I met with survivors face to face to help with immediate needs and registering them for assistance. I am also trained to serve as a Program Delivery Manager, where I assist applicants in applying for Public Assistance after a disaster has been declared.

Why did you go down that career path and what helped you decide what to pursue? 

When I graduated in May, everyone was always asking me what I wanted to do as a job and I didn’t have an answer. I knew that I loved the environment and wanted my work to have a direct impact on the lives of others. When I learned about how FEMA directly helps people before, during and after disasters, I knew I was interested. Climate change is a serious matter that is continuing to progress and make disasters more frequent and severe, so I knew that this would be a great way to learn more about how we can improve out mitigation efforts to combat climate change, while considering how we can help those directly impacted by these disasters.

Can you tell me about something specific you did at Pace that prepared you for this position? 

I took several classes with Dr. Rubbo, one of which was writing enhanced. The nature of the work in his classes tended to have writing as one of the main focuses which not only helped my writing skills, but significantly improved my reading and note taking skills. I took a climate change class with Dr. Finewood which I have found to be very relevant in relation to the topics being discussed at my work.

What skills from Pace are you using in this position? 

Time management, organization, commitment, dedication, honesty, reliability, responsibility, integrity, compassion, respect.

Writing skills, reading comprehension skills, communication skills, leadership skills.

What advice, if any, would you like to give to our current students? 

I would absolutely recommend that students find an internship. FEMA does offer internship positions, but there are plenty of internships that are relevant to this line of work. The key is to find internships that relate to the work you have done in school and the work you hope to do once you graduate.

When looking for an internship find something that gives you several different experiences and skills that you can talk about to an interviewer, this will allow you to talk about your varied experiences.