Thomas Quintero

Houston, Texas

"Geology is a rambunctious yet collaborative science that brings people together and down to Earth."

Growing up camping in the towering pine timbers of the Texas Hill Country as a Boy Scout was something that led me to find a deep love and appreciation for the outdoors. While studying in school, I often daydreamed knowing that there was always something fascinating waiting to be discovered in the natural world. This innate drive to study the outdoors led me to participate in programs such as GeoFORCE. As a result of my time in GeoFORCE, I grew very curious of geology and its relevance to the lives of people every day. Geology is a rambunctious yet collaborative science that brings people together and down to Earth.

My Pathway

Here is a little list of some milestones I have written down for my journey through what led me to geology. Feel free to contact me and ask me about any of these events!

Geo - Milestones

  • Cub/Boy Scouts : 2003 - 2016
  • Eagle Scout : August 12, 2015
  • St. Thomas High School : 2012 - 2016
  • OA Triple Crown : 2014 - 2016
  • GeoFORCE : 2012 - 2016
  • NESA World Explorer PR : 2016
  • UT Austin Jackson School : 2016 - Present
  • McCombs Summer Institute : 2017
  • Longhorn Stream Team : 2017
  • IRES Slovakia : 2018
  • Hispanic Scholarship Fund Mentor : 2018
  • Jackson School Honors : 2018 - Present
  • Jackson School Ambassadors : 2018 - Present

The surprising thing is...

... no one in my family was a professional scientist before my brother and I chose to be geologists. My brother and I are very different people yet we both decided that being a teacher (my mom) or being an accountant (my dad) was not for us. We sought a career that would challenge us both physically and mentally at times while being able to provide for the needs of our futures.

Lessons

  1. Keep your mind open. You never know if you are going to like something unless you try it for yourself. You might hear about an area of study or an extracurricular activity that is not for one of your friends but it could be something that you really enjoy!
  2. Books aren't the only thing that can hold information. So can your brain and so can rocks. When you combine those two, you can solve a lot of problems that the world is facing or will face in the future.
  3. Geology isn't all oil and gas. It's a growing collaborative field that has opportunities in consulting, construction, water resources, paleontology, mining, research labs, being an educator and much much more!
  4. Never be afraid to ask for help.

Contact Me!

Reach out to learn more about the geosciences, about how to become a geoscientist, or to talk about your own story.