Hayden Goldsmith ’27

Hayden Goldsmith put his environmental studies major to work in a real-life industrial setting during his summer internship at International Wax Inc. in Smethport, Pa.

Initially hired for a maintenance role at the wax manufacturer, Goldsmith’s responsibilities quickly evolved, giving him the opportunity to engage directly with environmental compliance and wastewater management, key areas of his studies.

That transition transformed his summer into an invaluable, hands-on learning experience that allowed him to apply classroom knowledge to local environmental and manufacturing needs.

Working under the plant’s environmental manager, Goldsmith immersed himself in the complexities of air and water quality regulations. His daily responsibilities included monitoring water quality, taking critical measurements, and ensuring that the plant adhered to EPA and DEP standards.

One rewarding part of Goldsmith’s internship was cleaning plant wastewater, a process he found both fascinating technically and rewarding personally, because he saw the impact his efforts had on improving water quality and preventing water pollution.

Goldsmith’s internship also taught him the critical process of data collection and reporting to regulatory agencies, a detail-oriented task that underscored the importance of accuracy, skills he has learned in his classes at Pitt-Bradford.

Goldsmith said his coursework prepared him well for the technical demands of his internship.

His geology classes, in particular, gave him foundational knowledge about water quality and pollutant levels, which were crucial for his work in wastewater management.

His time in labs also helped him hone his skills in data-collection and attention to detail that are critical when measuring and reporting vital environmental data.

"A lot of that stuff I already had a good basis of knowledge on,” Goldsmith said. “I knew what they were because we'd already done it in the lab."

Goldsmith, armed with both classroom and hands-on experience, is looking ahead to his future with confidence, eyeing law school with thoughts of becoming an environmental lawyer.