Ever since I can remember, I have loved everything about water and its components. From being taken on the nearest lake at 18 months old, to being rushed into swimming lessons, and even becoming scuba certified at 10 years old; I must’ve been in the water more than I wasn’t. For me, H2O is the picture of happiness. My dream careers as a child were anything but typical. Most kids want to be an astronaut or a professional athlete, but my jobs spanned from an exotic animal veterinarian to a dolphin trainer. Although they might not smell pleasant, all these careers have one thing in common — learning about animals. As I aged, I cultivated an affinity for the sciences, more specifically biology. I adopted it naturally. With my love for wildlife, biology, and most importantly water, the answer was clear. I had my heart set on being a marine biologist.

My dream of becoming a marine biologist became ever more prevalent as my family traveled. We visited locations with the most biologically diverse sea life in the world. My favorite place I’ve ever submerged myself in has to be San Pedro, Belize. It is where, initially, I learned to scuba dive. Off the coast are the Belize Barrier Reef — the second largest reef system in the world, and largest in the northern hemisphere — and mysteries like the Great Blue Hole, a place that feels otherworldly. It is truly a beautiful place. I deem myself one of the luckiest people to inhabit this Earth to have been certified in such unique waters. Being able to visit places like these, and get paid, surely would be a dream come true. 

To become a marine biologist, one needs a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. A master’s degree specializing in aquatic studies and marine biology will also give one an advantage when searching for employment. My dream university to continue my education is the University of Hawaii, Manoa. Here, on an island surrounded by the world’s largest ocean, I would have the perfect opportunity to learn about what I love. If I were able to attend the University of Hawaii, there would be plenty of possibilities for marine-focused students to travel abroad and explore other aquatic areas of the world. Traveling and learning? Count me in.

The duties of a marine biologist do vary. They can study anything from the largest mammal on

earth, the blue whale, to the tiniest species of nanoplankton. Marine biologists can investigate the behavior and physiological processes of marine species, even the diseases and environmental conditions that may affect them. Most importantly, they assess the impacts of human activities on marine life. With the endangerment of marine life crises spanning all over the world, this job has become ever more important — which is why I want to help.

Marine life is projected to experience a mass die off that could rival the largest mass extinctions in Earth’s geological history if worldly use of greenhouse gasses does not diminish. Not only are

temperatures of the ocean rising, but there is a build up of pollution. An estimated 14 tons of plastic invade the oceans. A large amount of these plastics can be categorized into microplastics. Today, microplastics have been detected in a large number of species of marine life, in commercial seafood, and even in our drinking water.

It is important to me to have a job that I love. If I got the opportunity to take steps toward preserving the ocean life for future generations to enjoy, all while traveling, getting paid, and most importantly helping, I would consider my life to be complete. It would be my dream.