Since I was seven years old, I have always been fascinated with the ocean after my first visit to Florida, when I was surprised to find live conchs while collecting shells on the beach.

I had limited interaction with the ocean growing up in the Midwest, the summer after my high school graduation, I started an internship at the John G. Shedd Aquarium, then moved to Florida to study marine science at Eckerd College and Nova Southeastern University, while continuing to build career in by working in the Florida Keys, Caribbean, and the Northeast Coast of the U.S.

My career highlights include: awarded for managing Adventure Aquariums’s dive safety program; logging over 1000 logged open water dives through the Florida Keys, Honduras, Windward/British Virgin Islands, Trinidad/Tobago and the Bahamas while teaching marine science, sailing and SCUBA classes; and being honored by Nova Southeastern University professors for innovative research methods to solve Marine Protected Area management and wildlife forensic science issues.

I am proud to have played a role on a variety of projects, such as being a member of the NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary’s Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill HAZMAT Response Team in 2010, working on coral spawning research for five spawning seasons in collaboration with NOAA, University of Florida, University of Miami, Penn State, Coral Restoration Foundation, Mote Marine Laboratory, Florida Aquarium, Shedd Aquarium and Georgia Aquarium, and being the only student researcher invited to ICRAN’s Coral Reef Crime Scene Investigation workshop.