A marine biologist has always been my first career choice, even when I didn’t fully realize what it was. Growing up, my parents and I would go on vacations to tropical locations and the ocean kept enticing me to go back and learn more. I now have my divers certification and am working towards my BS in Marine Biology at the University of New Hampshire. As a senior this fall, I have been able to pick classes that will assist and train me in pursuing my passion for protecting our oceans. Being offered the chance to dive deeper into specific topics with the help of the Ventana Ocean Conservation Scholarship would lift some of the burdens of tuition off my shoulders and enable me to devote more time to this endeavor. I believe that protecting our oceans is crucial to our human survival because of the direct correlation ocean health has with human health. The ocean transports heat from the equator to the poles of the earth regulating the overall climate and weather patterns (NOAA, 2023). Most people believe that the oceans don’t impact the ecosystems on land but that is just not the case. Humans go to the sea for resources such as salt, food, transportation, medicine, and much more! From the water we drink to the toothpaste we use and the fish we eat, it is all being impacted by climate change. We rely on these resources and without the ocean, many of them simply would not exist. I recently learned in my physiology of fishes class that fish were actually the first vertebrates to exist and therefore are used for advancing much biomedical research. This can range from hormone testing to research on water retention during osmoregulation. If their habitats were destroyed and their populations deteriorated, what change would occur within the biomedical world? Moreover, the interactions between and within certain species that inhabit the ocean have taught us numerous things regarding the relationships between humans as well as other earth-dwelling species. In a recent documentary called Secrets of the Whales, researchers learned more complexities about the relationships within an orca family as well as the importance of humpback songs. The more we learn about the intelligence of the creatures in the sea, the more we learn about ourselves. In order to address climate change and make an impact, I am pursuing research on how climate change impacts specific species. I am currently working with a graduate student to continue studying how an invasive tunicate species in the Gulf of Maine reacts to increased temperatures, which simulates climate change. To give some context, she is focusing on heart rates and genes expressed throughout the trials while I am focused more on how dissolved oxygen rates change over the course of temperature increases. I am continuing this research over the summer and the goal is to have this open doors for me to continue this further in my career. Research on climate change is something I am passionate about and by doing this I want to help other scientists, and people in general, comprehend the true impacts of climate change on various ocean species in order to understand how to better combat it. Understanding the impact of climate change on one species doesn’t only help that one but every other moving part connected to it within that ecosystem. The oceans are connected to us in so many ways. Every detail is a part of a much larger intricate ecosystem and preserving each one is vital to the survival, health, and success of the Earth as a whole.

A marine biologist has always been my first career choice, even when I didn’t fully realize what it was. Growing up, my parents and I would go on vacations to tropical locations and the ocean kept enticing me to go back and learn more. I now have my divers certification and am working towards my BS in Marine Biology at the University of New Hampshire. As a senior this fall, I have been able to pick classes that will assist and train me in pursuing my passion for protecting our oceans. Being offered the chance to dive deeper into specific topics with the help of the Joseph A. Venuti Marine Science & Conservation Scholarship would lift some of the burdens of tuition off my shoulders and enable me to devote more time to this endeavor. In order to address climate change and make an impact, I am pursuing research on how climate change impacts specific species. I am currently working with a graduate student to continue a study on how an invasive tunicate species in the Gulf of Maine reacts to increased temperatures, which simulates climate change. To give some context, she is focusing on heart rates and genes expressed throughout the trials while I am focused more on how dissolved oxygen rates change throughout temperature increases. I am continuing this research over the summer and the goal is to have this open doors for me to further advance my career. Research on climate change is something I am passionate about and would like to focus my time and energy on. By doing this I want to help other scientists, and people in general, comprehend the true impacts of climate change on various ocean species to understand how to better combat it. Understanding the impact of climate change on one species doesn’t only help that one but every other moving part connected to it within that ecosystem. Ultimately, my goals include continuing to be a part of hands-on climate change research. Understanding how various species react to the effects of ocean acidification, warming temperatures, and many other aspects, not only prepares us for the future but it gives us more insight on how we’re able to actively combat it. While my research focuses on a specific invertebrate species of tunicate, they have still impacted the economy as well as many, if not all, ecosystems surrounding the Gulf of Maine. This shows how each intricate detail matters to the overall ecosystems within the oceans. In addition to this, another goal of mine would be to educate others through my research and grow their knowledge. This includes other scientists as well as people such as my parents. Each person has a responsibility to understand how the systems on our planet work together and why they’re important to know about. The oceans are connected to us in so many ways. Every detail is a part of a much larger intricate ecosystem and preserving each one is vital to the survival, health, and success of the Earth as a whole.

Personally, there are a variety of reasons to love a career within the STEM community. Throughout my high school career, I found a love for nature and animals in my living environment class. I soon realized that the STEM community offers many opportunities to explore new ideas, expand your knowledge in growing technology, and re-write the future. Now that I am going into my third year of college as a marine biology major, I wouldn’t want my life to look any different. While I was in elementary school and all the way through high school, my parents and I would go on vacations to tropical locations and the ocean kept enticing me to go back and learn more. While some kids had no interest going into the open water, I couldn’t stay away and wanted to go in deeper when we would go snorkeling. I snorkeled in Mexico and Jamaica, swam with sea turtles in Hawaii, went on a couple dives in Aruba, and now I am going to be open water scuba certified by the end of the summer! After seeing these wonderful environments with my own eyes, it has made it more difficult to accept the fact that global warming is destroying the earth’s oceanic ecosystems. Once I decided that I wanted to be part of the effort to combat climate change it was easy to pick a college with that in mind. I researched colleges with the highest ranked marine biology programs and found that the University of New Hampshire was the perfect fit for me. While I wouldn't want to pursue any other career, the road that lies ahead is not going to be easy. While there will be many obstacles in my way such as being a woman and personal doubts, a major obstacle that I will face within marine biology is the undeniable fact of global warming. It is hard to not be discouraged whenever I see a new post or news article discussing the state of our oceans and the marine life that inhabits it. While there are efforts being made, the truth of the matter is that the earth has some irreversible damage that is hard to come to terms with. While this is discouraging it also pushes me to be more persistent and in turn, work harder to find new, innovative ways to fight and try to solve this issue. I knew that going into this career, I wanted to make a difference not only in my town but throughout the country and someday the world. While my classes have been challenging and navigating my future hasn’t been easy, the unending support from my parents, encouragement from my close friends, and the drive to further understand the complexity of the ocean’s ecosystem has kept me persevering. Being a woman in STEM is never going to be easy, but for me personally, life wouldn’t be as interesting if things were always easy.

Growing up I never pictured myself being interested in anything science related. When I would go on vacations with my family, I always found the ocean fascinating but, I never believed that I would be able to make it in the STEM field. I found that many of the topics discussed left me confused which caused me to turn away from the idea of exploring those ideas further. As I continued into high school, I found a love for nature and animals in my living environment class. I was shocked to see how interested I was with the marine ecosystems and organisms that inhabited them. I soon realized that the STEM community offers many opportunities to explore new ideas, expand your knowledge in growing technology, and re-write the future. Now that I am going into my third year of college as a marine biology major, I wouldn’t want my life to look any different. While I was in elementary school and all the way through high school, my parents and I would go on vacations to tropical locations and the ocean kept enticing me to go back and learn more. While some kids had no interest going into the open water, I couldn’t stay away and wanted to go in deeper when we would go snorkeling. I snorkeled in Mexico and Jamaica, swam with sea turtles in Hawaii, went on a couple dives in Aruba, and now I am going to be open water scuba certified by the end of the summer! After seeing these wonderful environments with my own eyes, it has made it more difficult to accept the fact that global warming is destroying the earth’s oceanic ecosystems. Once I decided that I wanted to be part of the effort to combat climate change it was easy to pick a college with that in mind. I researched colleges with the highest ranked marine biology programs and found that the University of New Hampshire was the perfect fit for me. Personally, the biggest influencers in my life were all the researchers and instructors I got to meet during vacations with my family. When I was still young and unsure as to what I wanted to do growing up, I talked to these snorkel instructors and aquarium workers who encouraged me to dream big and truly enjoy what I decide to do with my life. I saw how they educated, inspired, and spread awareness to people and immediately felt like they were truly making a difference in the world. From these workers I not only found my passion but, I learned more about where to start in order to begin this career path. I knew that going into this career, I wanted to make a difference not only in my town but throughout the country and someday the world. While my classes have been challenging and navigating my future hasn’t been easy, the unending support from my parents, encouragement from my close friends, and the drive to further understand the complexity of the ocean’s ecosystem has kept me persevering. Being a woman in STEM is never going to be easy, but for me personally, life wouldn’t be as interesting if things were always easy.

Being the daughter of a veteran has not only shifted the way I see the world, it has truly shaped who I am as a person. From a young age I have been going to military bases, staying in the hotels, shopping at the BX, and getting groceries at the Commissary. It was natural for me and was always something I looked forward to doing with my family. This automatically gave me a different experience growing up from other kids due to the career my dad chose to have. My dad was in the Air Force for twenty-eight years and during those years he left many times for different deployments. When he left the last time it was to go to Iraq for Operation Enduring Freedom. I was in elementary school and I understood why he left but it was difficult to understand what he was doing over there and to have him gone for what seemed like forever. My mom and I spent Thanksgiving and Christmas on Skype with my dad having conversations without knowing how long they would last or what would happen at the base during the call. Although I was young I still vividly remember the six months being away from him and the exact moment I got to see him again. These moments are going to stay with me for the rest of my life and I wouldn’t change that experience for the world. Being the daughter of a veteran has helped show me how to be strong and persevere. My dad worked his way up the ladder to become an E9 Chief Master Sergeant during his time in the Air Force. He showed me how hard work pays off and that giving back has beneficial outcomes. My dad’s character has always shown through his actions and even at a young age that was seen in the way he devoted his life to helping and serving in the Air Force. This led me to a career path that also is devoted to giving back. I am pursuing a career in the field of Marine Biology because I am passionate about restoring our oceans and ecosystems. This includes giving back to the earth and helping out the organisms in a variety of environments which in turn will hopefully help to restore certain aspects of this earth. My dad has always encouraged me to work hard and be selfless in the way I interact with people. Whether I realized it or not, that attitude and mentality has carried over into my career choice and helped me have a stronger understanding of what I want to do with the rest of my life. I believe that receiving this scholarship will help me to continue on that journey.