The ocean has always been a safe place for me. When I was little I would go on vacation to Hawaii or Costa Rica and on those vacations I would spend hours and hours just swimming with my little goggles on and seeing what I could find. I was so fascinated with the coral reefs, fish, turtles, stingrays and of course the pretty seashells. Along with those discoveries I would find pieces of trash floating in the ocean or even beneath the sand and I would collect it as if it was a pretty seashell. I would refuse to come out of the water for a sunscreen break and even now at 17 years old it’s still hard to take me out of the ocean.

I remember being in Hawaii, taking a paddle board with my dad and older sister out to the ocean at sunset to see the leatherback turtles. You were not allowed to touch them of course but no one ever said I could not swim with them. So I got my little snorkeling goggles that match my little pink one piece swimsuit and I jumped right in, and wow it truly was the best experience. I found love for the ocean and with every chance I got to go on vacation my pick would always be any place with an ocean.

I’m at the end of my junior year of High School and everyone knows junior year is the toughest year. This is the year where the pressure is on academically and career path wise. This is the year to decide what your plan is for after high school. If you’re choosing to go to college you need to think about what college, what major, and the expenses. For me, it has been the most challenging year academically. Learning to juggle academics, friends, work and extracurricular activities is very difficult. If you can manage all of that you can a hundred percent manage the pressure of deciding your choice in path leading after high school.

Marine Biology as a major really grabbed my attention because it sparked my interests. I find it hard to be interested in an ocean based major when I live in an inland state. Don’t get me wrong, I do love Colorado mountains but the beachy coasts really spark my passion and curiosity. I am curious how the transition is going to be like moving from a mountainous area to a beachy coast.

I contacted a previous Boulder High student Taylor Overy who is doing her first year at University of Miami. I was curious to find out what the transition was like when moving from a landlocked state to the coast. She stated that, “The biggest transition from a landlocked state to the coast has been the weather! The humidity and the heat were a big change from Colorado and the fact that there aren’t any seasons here. I don’t live right on the coast but I am constantly reminded of its presence, there are seafood restaurants everywhere along with dive shops. Instead of going to the mountains, people go to the beach.”

Then I asked what advice she had to give for someone who is coming from an inland state and has an interest in pursuing marine biology. “For people living in an inland state is to pursue marine biology or any ocean science even if you aren’t remotely close to the ocean, there are opportunities wherever you are. In Colorado, there are tons of dive shops with marine biologists who want to share their stories. If you can travel, do that. I knew that I wanted to work in marine biology so I attended the Island School for a semester and that was the best decision I’ve ever made.”

Taylor also had been interested in marine biology since she was little and then, later on she attended the Island School of Bahamas. I too planned on attending Island School of Bahamas but unfortunately Covid19 hit and that caused me to remain close to home in Boulder. I plan on going on a month-long sailing trip that focuses on marine biology and I hope it will allow me to learn more about marine biology.  

        My journey continues while I go explore the British Virgins Islands the summer going into senior year. When I am exploring the ocean reef, the little girl within me will feel as if she is back where she belongs. The bond between the ocean and I will become stronger and my passion and love for the ocean will lead me to the next chapter of my life.

Works Cited

Arthur, Paulo. “Photo by Paulo Arthur on Unsplash.” Beautiful Free Images & Pictures, 17 Mar. 2021, unsplash.com/photos/_bg1V5o_j4w.

Hernandez, lalo. “Photo by Lalo Hernandez on Unsplash.” Beautiful Free Images & Pictures, Unsplash, 8 Oct. 2018, unsplash.com/photos/Amo081zdJsI.

Long, Rod. “Photo by Rod Long on Unsplash.” Beautiful Free Images & Pictures, Unsplash, 23 Apr. 2020, unsplash.com/photos/gUYYvPrnuHY.

Wolf, Kevin. “Photo by Kevin Wolf on Unsplash.” Beautiful Free Images & Pictures, 18 Sept. 2019, unsplash.com/photos/jZ0Q7vAOF7A.