Valerie LeCompte, a geology student in the Department of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington, is Farallon’s 2016 intern. After moving from Michigan to Seattle in 2010, she discovered the differences between the Great Lakes water system she was familiar with, and water conditions on the West Coast such as the drought in California and eastern Washington. Seeing the fragility of Pacific Northwest water ecosystems, Valerie decided to make a career change. “Water is such an essential resource,” she says, “and I’m excited to be part of the fight to clean it up.”
As part of her internship, Valerie assists with groundwater sampling, monitoring well installation and development, subsurface investigation drilling, excavation observation, and project management, and is increasing her understanding of the complex world of environmental regulations. The Farallon internship teaches skills not learned in a classroom setting, and allows Valerie to gain on-site experience in a variety of environment projects. This exposure to Farallon's suite of environmental consulting specialties will enable Valerie to focus her remaining studies, and to be better prepared to enter the environmental workforce after graduation.
When she’s not covered in sunscreen working at a project site, Valerie enjoys tormenting her coworkers with terrible puns, and snacking on donuts from the shop down the street.