Hi everyone my name is Cassie Hess and I am a Junior at Penn State, University Park. I am currently studying Risk Management with a focus in finance in the Smeal College of Business. I am hoping to pursue a career in the financial services industry because I like how it is constantly evolving and there is always more to learn. I grew up in a small town called Colts Neck, which is located in central New Jersey. I have lived in the same house, in the same town my entire life. I am interested in this course because it fulfills a course requirement, but also because I find the concept of geography very interesting. It is so important to our society and I would really like to learn more about what goes into the study of geography. Some other things about me are that I love to run and am currently training for a half marathon. I also enjoy cooking and reading a great book.

After reading through module 1, I have already learned a lot about geography that I wasn’t aware of. I find the concept of cartographic projection to be very interesting because I think that we are so accustomed to seeing two-dimensional maps that we don’t realize the projection scheming that must go into that. It’s interesting how we sometimes distort maps because this makes it easier for us to understand some things. A map can be completely inaccurate in terms of scale, but be very helpful in a given situation. Other than that, I am also very intrigued by the concept of how humans affect geography and how geography affects us. The concepts of sustainability, governance and ethics are all very important when discussing the impact humans have on our environment and how we can improve in the future.