(Photo courtesy of Breanna Fernandez)
For 15 years, Gateway Science Museum has been a campus hub for learning and exploration. From interactive exhibits to undergraduate research projects, Gateway inspires the joy of discovery and doing. To celebrate this milestone, we’re honoring Gateway’s legacy and future as a pillar of the community. Join us as we highlight alumni who got their start here and help ensure the next generation has the same opportunity to learn, discover, and dream big.
Every Saturday during the summer of 2021, Breanna Fernandez led young visitors out of the Gateway Science Museum to Big Chico Creek, which meanders through the Chico State campus on its way to the Sacramento River.
With a few scientific instruments in tow, she guided the children through hands-on activities, collecting water samples that she would test for pH levels, alkalinity, turbidity, nutrient content, and more. The goal was to explore the relationship between water quantity and water quality, and introduce kids to science, said Fernandez (Environmental Science, ’21).
Fernandez joined Gateway in March 2021 at the urging of Sandrine Matiasek, professor of geological and environmental sciences. Then a senior, she was unsure what life after graduation would hold, but she knew she wanted as much work experience as possible before finishing her degree that May.
Gateway hired her as a temporary community science forum coordinator after the museum received a grant to explore a global issue and how science could empower the community to address it. Drawing on her background and connections in the environmental sciences program, Fernandez collaborated with Matiasek and Gateway to develop a research project on drought and its effects on water quality.
“I’m not usually the one who comes up with ideas—I’m more of a person who follows someone else’s lead—but I’m proud of creating this activity,” she said. “I was nervous because I wanted it to be something kids would enjoy. Something educational and hands-on that wouldn’t scare them away from science. I’m proud of myself for coming up with something I could tell they genuinely enjoyed.”
The project also provided her with valuable work experience. Today, Fernandez is an environmental scientist at Bryte Chemical Laboratory with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), still analyzing water samples but now on a statewide scale.
“My experience at Gateway—doing the research and working with instrumentation—is exactly what got me my job at the state,” she said. “The whole lab revolves around instrumentation. We get water samples from all over California and perform chemical analysis based on the request. Without that Gateway experience, I don’t think those connections would have been made.”
While the role was initially meant to be short-term, Gateway Executive Director Adrienne McGraw saw something more and offered Fernandez a full-time position. Not quite ready to leave Chico, Fernandez stayed on to continue her project, lead field trips, and manage the front desk. Those varied responsibilities—customer service, communication, mentoring, and teaching—have translated well into her career at DWR.
“We have new management in the lab, and they designated me as the one giving tours,” she said. “It brings me back to my Gateway days. The experiences I gained there have been so helpful, and I carry them with me.”
She encourages more students to take advantage of Gateway, especially since it’s free for students.
“The exhibits are always changing, so even if you’ve been once, you can go again and see something completely different,” she said. “It’s a great resource for the community, too. It gives people something to do while learning and helps them stay connected to their community.”
That idea of staying connected resonates with Fernandez, whose own path to Chico State began with an uncertain but determined search for the right college fit. A first-generation college student, Fernandez was unsure how to navigate the college application process. She said she applied to nearly every university within driving distance of her East Bay home.
As soon as she visited Chico State’s campus with her parents, she knew it was where she belonged.
“I didn’t mean to land at Chico State, but it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” she said. “I really appreciate that 2017 version of me for making that choice. I couldn’t have asked for a better school for environmental science. All our field trips were easy to access because Chico is surrounded by nature. And since it’s a smaller school, I formed strong connections with professors—I can still reach out to them today.
“From a financial standpoint, it was also great. Chico is an inexpensive place to live. I was a full-time student, working part time, and I was able to pay my bills and still enjoy life.”
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