Class of 2024: Jessica Showalter receives 2024 Phi Kappa Phi Medallion Award
Showalter received the award as the top graduating senior in forestry in the College of Natural Resources and Environment.
Keith Goyne, associate dean, and Jessica Showalter, who received the Phi Kappa Phi Medallion Award. Photo by Chris Moody for Virginia Tech.
Name: Jessica Showalter
College: College of Natural Resources and Environment
Department: Forest resources and environmental conservation
Hometown: Broadway, Virginia
The College of Natural Resources and Environment honored Showalter with the 2024 Phi Kappa Phi Medallion Award as the top graduating senior in the college.
Showalter transferred from Blue Ridge Community College to study in the only four-year forestry program in the commonwealth. Her academic excellence in her time at Virginia Tech led her to receive the prestigious medallion.
Phi Kappa Phi is the only national society that recognizes excellence across all disciplines. Virginia Tech's chapter of Phi Kappa Phi is involved in a number of efforts to recognize scholarship and academic excellence. The Virginia Tech Chapter of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi was recently recognized as a Chapter of Merit for its efforts.
Showalter said her experiences in the classroom have prepared her for the next steps in a career in forestry.
How have hands-on educational experiences helped you at Virginia Tech?
I have had at least three field labs every semester which has been a great experience because they allowed me the opportunity to practice the skills we learn about in class. The best lab I had was Field Experiences which was two four-hour labs a week where we went to the woods and practiced using equipment and methods that we'll likely use in the future. Learning field skills in school has made me more comfortable and capable in my internships and has prepared me for my career.
Did you participate in any internships?
I had an internship with the Virginia Department of Forestry the summer before I started at Tech as a transfer student. The next summer I went out west and worked on a wildland fire engine crew in North Dakota. Last summer, I had my last internship with American Forest Management in Beckley, West Virginia.
Who is a faculty member that influenced you?
So many faculty members have been so influential in my time at Virginia Tech. They all always have an open door and an ear to listen. Jen Gagnon, the faculty advisor for the Virginia Tech student chapter of the Society of American Foresters, has made it so easy to get involved in the chapter and ensures that everyone who wants to attend any events has the means and the funding to be able to.
