On My Passion for Marine Conservation
As a little kid, I was obsessed with learning fun facts. From germs to Egyptology, I would rattle them off to anyone who would listen. But through all my phases and obsessions, marine biology stuck with me. I remember my family's visits to the aquarium: sketching the puffins, touching anemones, watching, captivated as the sea otters were fed. And when I stood under the enormous underwater dome, face to face with giant, ancient (in my mind, at least) creatures, I was filled with wonder. The Puget Sound is home to some of the most unique and diverse ecosystems on the planet, and the Seattle Aquarium introduced me to the mysteries concealed just a few minutes' drive away at the beaches.
Since then, my passion for marine conservation and education has flourished. In my freshman year, I designed and taught a full-length lesson about climate change, ocean acidification, and their effects on ecosystems, including hands-on exercises and discussion activities. I have been doing research on sea star wasting disease since middle school, and a couple of years ago, I integrated it into the proposal I wrote to incorporate more regionally relevant case studies into Biology classes at my school, outlining how the key concepts of Freshman Biology are resplendent in the Puget Sound. Last year, I delivered two lectures on the evolution of whale skull morphology focused on the adaptation of the mammalian inner ear to deep-diving animals and the molecular evidence that supports the various theories. I am also part of the marine science club at my school. We are working to reinstate the fish tank that used to be an integral part of the middle school building and arranging field trips to tidepool and visit the Friday Harbor labs.
I have also pursued marine conservation outside the classroom. Last year, on a school trip to Costa Rica, I worked with researchers to collect data on leatherback sea turtles nesting at the Pacuare nature reserve. Their goal was to track the turtles laying eggs on our section of the beach and then transfer the eggs to a hatchery to continue monitoring them until they hatched. Before I left, I was worried. Costa Rica was hot and humid, and we didn't have power. We woke up between 10 pm and 2 am to walk for hours on the pitch-dark beach, looking for nests and collecting data. Yet, although it was physically tiring, I was energized by the work. I never thought I could thrive outside of what I thought was my 'comfort zone.' Since then, I've started pushing myself to take advantage of the resources at my disposal. I went paddleboarding searching for local species (and was amazed at everything I found), started a kelp journal documenting my beach finds, and have been going for weekly swims in Lake Washington. I have gained true fulfillment through exploring the world around me.
As the oldest on both sides of my family, I have extensive experience with kids. I have close relationships with my young cousins and love to engage with them about their interests. I am also a member of the peer mentoring program at my school and run two affinity groups across the middle and high school. Through these positions, I have learned how to interact with diverse ages and interests, fostering serious conversations and delivering information in an easy-to-digest manner. I have good communication skills and enjoy interacting with everyone. I hope to be selected for this program as it is the perfect opportunity to continue learning about marine science in the Puget Sound region and share my passion.
I visited the aquarium recently with my 5-year-old cousin. As I stood under the dome (smaller than I remembered, or maybe I had just grown), I was filled with that same sense of awe from years ago. My little cousin was as excited as I was. As I shared what I knew about the dome with him, like the volunteers at the aquarium had shared factoids with me, I watched him light up.