Hello world! Welcome to my personal blog, which I’ll fill with thoughts, pictures, and updates as I make the leap from a land-locked undergraduate experience to a dream job on beautiful Catalina Island in California.

Ever since I visited Oahu and Kauai, Hawaii with my family in high school, I knew I was going to be drawn back to the ocean – somehow, someway. I spent my first year of college not quite sure of what on earth I was doing pursuing a chemistry degree in one of the top 10 undergraduate chemistry programs in the country. Looking for some direction, I made my way to Kona, Hawaii the summer after my freshman year to earn my Divemaster certification in exchange for washing dishes, farming, and working with the campers at Hawaii Sea Camp. I returned to UNC confident that I wanted a career that somehow involved the ocean and diving, but unsure how that tied into the larger academic picture.

My sophomore year, still dreaming of Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins and crystal clear seas, I reached out to one of my favorite chemistry professors, Dr. Jorgenson, and invited him to lunch. I shouldn’t have been nervous about reaching out to such a prominent and brilliant individual – he was incredibly friendly, and we hit it off after he mentioned him and his wife spent many summers in Kona. I probably crossed paths with them several times on the shores of Hōnaunau and never knew it! I talked to him about my passion for diving and science, and he recommended I meet Dr. Christopher Martens in the Marine Sciences Department at UNC. At this point, I had no idea the marine sciences department existed, and much less so that aquatic chemistry was actually a potential field of study.

I met with Dr. Martens, and the rest is history. I began working in the laboratory, starting with washing glassware, then assisting the graduate students, Dan Hoer and Caleb King, and eventually to accompanying the lab to Marathon Key, FL to assist with field work with sea sponges. Dr. Martens’ enthusiasm, passion, and gregarious personality is infectious, and I dove (pun intended) deeper into the crazy interdisciplinary world of marine science. Caleb King, a Master’s Candidate in the Marine Sciences program, became my dedicated mentor. With Dr. Martens’ and his guidance, I created and executed an independent project on carbonate chemistry in collaboration with the Castillo laboratory, which I am currently wrapping up. The field, laboratory, and research experience I gained with the Martens Laboratory further confirmed that marine sciences is a perfect marriage of my passions for the underwater world and research, and I see graduate school in my future. I can’t thank everyone in the laboratory and the UNC Marine Sciences Department enough for what a positive impact they have had on me.

The summer after my sophomore year, I had the privilege of interning under one of the most influential people of my undergraduate career, Dr. Neal Pollock. I spent my summer as an intern in the research department at Divers Alert Network (DAN), and also assisted with human physiology studies at the Duke Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Environmental Physiology. I puzzled through endless spreadsheets of data collected from field studies, analyzed scientific journals, drank a lot of coffee, and even got to sneak away from the office for a couple weekends to enjoy some North Carolina diving with my coworkers. Dr. Pollock was an intense and dedicated mentor, generously committing his time to answering all my questions and teaching me the practical and subtle skills – on and off paper – necessary to being a successful scientist and researcher.

During my time at DAN and Duke, I met a truly amazing group of people in all departments who are passionate about their jobs, human physiology, and dive safety and education. They have encouraged me throughout my undergraduate career, been happy to help me out when I had questions, and have changed the way I dive for the better. I can not underscore dive safety enough, and have become passionate about sharing my dive knowledge, all thanks to these fantastic coworkers and friends.

Now that my entire life from the last four years is packed into boxes in my parents’ basement, the craziness of graduation is over, and I’ve said my tearful goodbyes to my friends, coworkers, and mentors in Chapel Hill, I’m ready to embark on a new adventure.

I’ll be moving across the country to Catalina Island, where I’ve accepted a position as a Marine Science Instructor at the Catalina Island Marine Institute (CIMI). I’m ecstatic to have such an incredible opportunity in such a beautiful location, and I’m excited to teach and spread my knowledge and passion for marine ecosystems to the next generation of marine scientists. I’ll be updating this blog regularly with my adventures, photos, and tidbits of marine science knowledge from a small island.

Where will I be five years from now? Graduate school? Scuba instructor? Laboratory technician? Environmental activist? Diving physiologist? I have no idea, but these fins will keep wandering.