Emma LeFlor knew she wanted to attend college in a place of beauty and in a place of adventure. Unsurprisingly, Alaska or Hawaii were her top choices. She was ultimately drawn to Alaska Pacific University because it has a competitive graduation rate, a small student-to-professor ratio, and an interesting and engaging program. She will graduate this spring with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Public Health and a minor in Marine and Environmental Sciences.

In her free time, LeFlor enjoys staying active at the gym, watching movies, and hanging out with friends. She is also a member of the Alaska Coast Guard, through participation in the College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative Scholarship Program (CSPI). After graduation she will commission into the Coast Guard as an officer, where she hopes to go afloat in the engine room for first tour (2-3 years). Then she aims to become a prevention officer, where she’ll be tasked with maritime inspections making sure compliance is followed on vessels.

Taking Advantage of APU Resources

LeFlor deeply enjoyed her academic experience, saying that, “I like how many resources APU has. I like how all of the teachers are super involved and passionate about what they do. I also love how small and tight knit the community is.”

Throughout her time at APU, LeFlor was incredibly active on campus. She lives on campus as a resident advisor, so she was able to help her fellow students take advantage of all that APU has to offer because “Campus life is really cool. Everything you need is right here!”

Giving Back Through Practicum

The environmental public health students don’t complete a senior project and instead, complete extensive practicum hours. She broke her practicum into three main subjects. The first project involved partnering with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct assessments of hazardous materials disposal. For the next project, she teamed up with Dr. Dee Barker to study microplastics in Alaskan waterways. The project is part of a 5-year grant to address microplastics and to create a microplastic educational center. Their early findings show microplastics are present in both Alaskan drinking water and the ocean, sparking important public health and educational initiatives.

LeFlor’s final partnership was with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, making sure that patients and healthcare workers are in safe environments free of hazards. She worked on the institutional environmental health program, looking at various compliances and establishing protocols for equipment management.

The Power of Interactive Learning

“I really loved APU. I could go here for another 6 years,” she says. “The hands-on learning is really impactful–they really prioritize fieldwork.” One of her favorite classes was an oceanography class, where the class went to Kauai and weaved surfing and place-based education into oceanography lessons. Her favorite class that relates to her major was an occupational safety and health class that she took with APU professor Jeni Dobson. Once again, it prioritized interactive learning that helped her integrate the lessons taught.

Advice for current students? “Make sure you take advantage of all the resources APU has. APU has a lot of resources, for instance, there’s the Effective Communication Center,” which offers advice on any writing-related work a student has.

As Emma sets sail into the next chapter of her life with the Coast Guard, she leaves APU not just with a degree, but with deep, hands-on experience, strong community connections, and a clear sense of purpose.