With a background in environmental management from the O’Neill School, Joshua Stockton, BSPA’24, found a role that aligns with his interests and the growing demand for water professionals. Today, he’s working at the City of Bloomington’s water treatment plant, applying what he learned in the classroom to protect one of the state’s most essential resources.
“I became interested in this position as it allows me to further my education, provides a network of local professionals in city government, and is a position of high demand in Indiana and across the nation.”
In addition to building his career in Bloomington, Stockton is thinking long-term. He hopes to someday use the skills he’s developing now to make an impact in his hometown.
“This role also provides lab and sampling training which are skills that I can transfer to my focus of developing a watershed working group in my hometown.”
He credits his coursework at the O’Neill School with laying the foundation for his current work. As an environmental management major, Stockton gained experience across both the scientific and policy sides of environmental issues, along with the flexibility to explore different areas within the field.
“My experience at the O’Neill School enabled me to garner experience in a vast array of public policy and environmental sciences, including water resources. While attending, I completed a water resources course taught by a local water plant operator. Little did I know I would eventually have the same role at another plant.”
Gaining Experience Beyond the Classroom
Hands-on learning was a defining part of his academic experience. One opportunity took him far from campus to the island of Bonaire as part of O’Neill’s international program in the Caribbean.
“The Caribbean O’Neill International program taught by Professor Stephen ‘Chip’ Glaholt changed my life. I got to travel to the island of Bonaire with 11 other students and made lifelong connections with them. I developed my own research project, snorkeled every day, and memorized over 100 fish and 30 invertebrate species.”
The trip helped him connect the dots between global environmental issues and the work he wanted to do back home.
“Experiencing some of the cleanest ocean water with vibrant life reminded me of the importance of water resources back home and mobilized me to make a positive impact in my own community.”
Other experiences brought environmental work closer to home. A wetlands course gave him a realistic sense of the day-to-day challenges and rewards of working in the field.
“Wetlands Ecology and Management allowed me to conduct a delineation of a nearby wetland, as well as develop my wetland plant identification skills. This is a course that allows students to get out in the field to get covered in dirt and muck. Every environmental student at O’Neill should take at least one of these types of courses. The course conjured many laughs and exhibited real scenarios of the working world.”
Reflecting on his journey so far, Stockton encourages current students to take ownership of their learning and invest in developing real, transferable skills.
“Don’t downplay your own abilities and really challenge and apply yourself. Develop hard skills, whether that is in chemistry, bio sampling, or data collection and entry—especially if you plan to work in environmental affairs.”
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