Some of my first memories are of the ocean and water; spending time at the beach with my family, fishing, and watching my older cousins learn how to water ski. Growing up in South Louisiana has given me a unique experience of growing up in a culture focused on water and what we can offer and take from the environment. Seafood and the swamps of Louisiana are a considerable part of the Cajun lifestyle. This fascination and encompassment of water and the ocean made me want to pursue marine biology as my future career and life goal. As I grew up, I learned more about the problems our ocean is suffering through, and that further pushed me to the path of marine conservation and ocean health. When I was in high school, I discovered another part of myself. I went to high school in an accepting and open environment, especially in the programs I was involved in. I had friends who walked lots of different paths in life. Around this time, I realized that I was attracted to women. I was confused about what this meant and was scared to tell anyone, especially my parents. I pushed the thought out of my mind even though I was surrounded by so many amazing friends and people. I didn't acknowledge that part of myself until I went to university. During freshman year, I realized again just how much I was attracted to women and men, and I began to accept that as who I am. I began to talk with others about sexuality and started to attend meetings with Pride clubs at my university. I still hadn't told anyone from high school or my family. I was scared that they wouldn't accept me and that my world would be pulled out from under me. At the end of that year, during pride month, my family went to Seattle. Seeing all of the festivities and parades made me feel like I was not being my true self with my parents, so one day at dinner I worked up the nerve to tell my family that I was bisexual. I was shaking so hard and it was incredibly nerve-wracking even though I thought they would love me no matter what. They did accept me, and I am very grateful as I know there are many whose coming-out stories went in a very different direction than mine. I now have two bachelor's degrees, one in Spanish and one in Marine Biology. However, I never wanted to stop my education at this milestone. I decided to take one year off of school to teach abroad and decide where I wanted my future to take me. I started applying to Graduate Programs and I got accepted to James Cook University in Australia. To say that studying Marine Biology and Conservation on the Great Barrier Reef is a dream come true is nothing short of the truth. This huge endeavor will give me the experience and tools I need to become a full-fledged Marine Biologist. As a professional, I would be thrilled to work with organizations that support and help to create Marine Protected Areas. Working in conservation at both a habitat level and species level is something that I want to do for the rest of my life, and this Master's program will help me to achieve that goal.

As an aspiring marine biologist, being sustainable is a necessity in my life. Some of my specific goals to help the environment in ways attainable to me are to buy less online, recycle and compost, ride the bus to reduce gas usage, reduce food waste, and decrease my water usage. Where I live requires that we sort our trash into recyclables and food waste, so this aspect of sustainability is already a constant in my daily life. Riding the bus and reducing food waste are also goals that were surprisingly easy for me. I ride the bus everywhere because it both saves money and is more efficient in my city. I found that I enjoy taking public transportation as I can relax and look at the scenery, and I do not have to stress about finding a parking spot. I go to the grocery store every couple of weeks, because I am using up all the food I have in my pantry and freezer first. I am also able to decrease my water usage using timers on my phone. Decreasing my shower times made me realize that I really don’t need to shower for as long as I want, and there are other ways to relax besides wasting water. Before I decided to decrease my shower times, they would regularly last upwards of thirty minutes, and now they last around ten. When I do buy online, I make sure that I buy everything I need at once so that the items all come in the same box. Overall, I feel like I do a good job sticking to my individual goals toward sustainability. I was unsure of my success rate for some of the goals I established, but I ended up doing okay. There are still some aspects of zero waste that I need to work on, but I believe that these goals are a good jumpstart for me to learn and adapt my lifestyle to be more zero waste. I believe that I will still continue to ride the bus in areas that allow me to do so, as I find it relaxing and not as stressful as driving. I also find that I enjoy my shorter showers and saving money on groceries. I will continue to research more ways to decrease the waste in my life so that I can contribute, even if it is in a small way, to the healing of our planet.

In one way or another, I have grown up surrounded by the importance of water. I have lived almost all of my life in southern Louisiana, where seafood and marshes reign supreme. Until I was in high school, the only other place I had been with any real frequency was the beaches of Florida and Alabama. Our biannual trip to the beach was often my favorite part of the year. I love being in the water and snorkeling to find fish and invertebrates. When I was 14, I began my journey as a SCUBA Diver by obtaining my Open Water Diver through NAUI. I discovered a whole new way to love the ocean and I was instantly hooked for life. I decided to go to college to gain knowledge so that I could work with the ocean and environment for the rest of my life. After I graduated from University with a degree in Spanish and a Degree in Biology with a concentration in Marine Sciences, I decided to obtain my Advanced Open Water certification and Enriched Air certificate through PADI. These courses helped me to become more confident in my diving skills and helped to remind me of why I fell in love with the ocean in the first place. Now, I have been accepted to pursue a Master's degree on the Great Barrier Reef, and I have never been more excited for what the future might hold. After my graduate program, I plan on working in the field of conservation, both habitats and individual species. I want to work with Non-Profit Organizations to create new Marine Protected Areas and try and help the world reach the 30x30 plan that it is currently lagging behind in. I would also enjoy working on rehabilitation projects such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium rehabilitation program for sea otters or at a facility such as the Marine Mammal Center in California. Working at both the individual and policy-making level is important for a well-rounded effort at protecting our oceans and all of the creatures who live in it. It is becoming more and more important as any type of environmental scientist to share with the world how we are harming our planet, and I believe that that is what my childhood and surroundings have shaped me to do. As an advocate of the ocean, I believe that if we push hard enough, more and more people will acknowledge our fight and the tides will turn against those who deny that we need to love and protect our mother earth.

I also grew up with a passion for reading and learning. Even if I were not particularly interested in some of the lessons learned in middle and high school, I would go out of my way to learn about the things that did interest me, such as sign language, coding, and Spanish. In high school, I started taking Spanish classes, first as a requirement and then as an elective as I enjoyed the challenge of learning a new language. Even as a little girl, I always wanted to work in specialized fields. Obviously, I didn't know what that meant at the time, but I grew up wanting to be a Vet, then a Doctor, then an Astrologist, and finally I settled on wanting to be a Marine Biologist. My love of learning did not stop when I got to college. I decided to pursue a degree in Spanish as well as a degree in Marine Biology. While I did not get many opportunities to take electives due to my two majors, I took different and interesting classes at every chance I got. I graduated with over 150 credits with two degrees, and still I was not satisfied. I decided early on that I also wanted to pursue a Masters and Phd after I graduated. However, I decided that first I wanted to spend a year in a different kind of learning environment; living in a foreign country where I have to learn the language while simultaneously teaching English. Living abroad is both mentally exhausting and incredibly rewarding. Every moment you step out of your home, you are constantly working on learning a new language. I love the feeling that I get when I come home and my brain has been run through the blender, because it means that I am learning little by little. I hope that I will keep learning new things after my postgraduate studies are complete. If you aren't learning, life is boring. I have a bucket list of languages that I want to attempt learning, I am currently learning to code for statistical analysis, and I enjoy learning about my hobbies everyday. I think people who don't enjoy learning are looking at it from the wrong angle. Learning is a privilege that many people around the world are not able to access for one reason or another. The ability to access information is perhaps one of the most significant technological advances of the century, and I will always use that ability to learn as much as I can.

When most people talk about health, they talk about physical health. They forget about half of our health, or, rather, they do not want to think about it. Mental health is pushed into the attic corner and left to gather dust. I believe that mental health has just as much significance, if not sometimes more significance, as physical health. Someone can be at the pinnacle of physical health but still be debilitated by poor mental health. I grew up in a family that dismisses mental health, and it took a long time for me to realize the repercussions of that. My father would shrug off his doctors when he was told he needed anxiety medication or therapy; my mom would tell me all of her problems and issues with depression while I was growing up instead of getting diagnosed and getting help from a professional. This led to me suppressing and hiding my severe anxiety and depression from middle school to my junior year of college. I was only forced to get help when my brother got mad during an argument and told me to kill myself. I told my parents and they said it wasn't that big of a deal and that I should accept his apology. I told them and my brother I wasn't ready to accept his apology and they pressured me asking me why not until I finally told them that I had had suicidal thoughts before. At that point, they took me seriously and got me the help that I needed in the form of medication and therapy. However, even now they avoid the topic as much as they can. I love my family, but even now I still feel that there is a distance between us that cannot be crossed. I do not feel safe or comfortable talking to them about my mental health problems, and even now I often try to hide that side of me from them. My struggles with mental health make me appreciate my goals and the world even more than before. I am lucky to be here and work towards my dreams. My goals do align very closely with my mental health difficulties. One thing that will always make me feel better is the ocean. I love all nature, but I have a special connection to the ocean and to marine life. This connection is what drove me to major in Marine Biology. Now I have my Bachelor's degree and am on my way to a Master's in Marine Biology in Australia. It has been a tough journey, but it has been so rewarding and I am excited to reach and accomplish my goals.

When most people talk about health, they talk about physical health. They forget about half of our health, or, rather, they do not want to think about it. Mental health is pushed into the attic corner and left to gather dust. I believe that mental health has just as much significance, if not sometimes more significance, as physical health. Someone can be at the pinnacle of physical health but still be debilitated by poor mental health. I grew up in a family that dismisses mental health, and it took a long time for me to realize the repercussions of that. My father would shrug off his doctors when he was told he needed anxiety medication or therapy; my mom would tell me all of her problems and issues with depression while I was growing up instead of getting diagnosed and getting help from a professional. This led to me suppressing and hiding my severe anxiety and depression from middle school to my junior year of college. I was only forced to get help when my brother got mad during an argument and told me to kill myself. I told my parents and they said it wasn't that big of a deal and that I should accept his apology. I told them and my brother I wasn't ready to accept his apology and they pressured me asking me why not until I finally told them that I had had suicidal thoughts before. At that point, they took me seriously and got me the help that I needed in the form of medication and therapy. However, even now they avoid the topic as much as they can. Now, I have many different ways of maintaining my mental health. I adopted a cat who helps me so much when I am feeling down. I have started to work out again, which makes me feel more productive. One thing that I used to have difficulty with was maintaining my social battery. If I was around people too much, it would start to affect my mental health. However, if I was alone too much, it would also affect me. My living situation now allows me to socialize as much as I want and allows me to retreat when I want as well. Since I started my medication and therapy I've been much healthier and I enjoy life much more than I used to. Mental health is something that will always be important to me and I believe that it should be important to everyone.

My favorite Disney character growing up and now is Mulan. Her resilience and ability to find solutions in difficult situations always inspired me as a child, and now as a grown woman, I do believe that watching the Mulan movies over and over as a child did shape who I grew up to be. Mulan did not accept things for what they are, she stood for what was right. She always followed her own heart, even if it meant that she was going against other people. She stood for what she believed in, she loved her family, and she was never afraid to speak her mind. She did end up falling in love with a man, but she proved that she did not need a man to help her; she was self-sufficient. I love all the Mulan songs, and the voice actor is one of my favorite actors from other shows. When I realized that she was the voice actor for my favorite Disney character it just made sense. The first Mulan movie has my heart, but I also love the second movie. Mulan helping the princesses realize that they should marry for love and not politics was a very compelling plot line and the opening scene of her teaching the other girls to the song 'Lesson Number One' was one of my favorite parts. She is sharing her courage and teaching other girls that they don't have to follow blindly, they can do what they want with their lives and can do whatever they put their minds to.

Since I was a young girl, I have had a special connection with nature. I grew up in the swamps and lakes of South Louisiana, with trips to Florida beaches every summer. When I was deciding what I wanted to do with my life, turning back to nature felt right. I was unsure whether I wanted to focus on terrestrial or marine sciences, but then I decided to take a look back at what made me most happy growing up. I loved all forms of nature, but I had a special connection with the ocean. I got my SCUBA certification at the age of 14 and I always loved going to the New Orleans Aquarium. I continued to improve my diving skills and I eventually want to become a Master Diver. My love of the ocean led to a love of conservation and ecology of megafauna. I decided to choose Marine Biology so that I could make a difference in the world through helping the earth and her oceans. Throughout my undergraduate studies, I was further convinced that I was following my passion. I want to explore and protect species that have yet to be discovered. I want to work in conservation or ecology with Marine Ecosystems in the form of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), as well as assist in species-level conservations and recovery programs in collaboration with Nonprofit Organizations (NPOs). I see this journey to necessarily include work with nationally and internationally accredited aquariums. To accomplish this, I have applied and been accepted to a Master's program in Marine Biology. After my Master's program, I want to get a PhD in Conservation or Ecology. With both a Masters and a PhD, I believe I will feel ready to help the world as best as I can with my knowledge and experiences.

My important song is Underground by Cody Fry. Both the lyrics and composition beautifully express the feeling that I have felt throughout my battle with depression and anxiety. To me, the song shows someone who is suffering and someone who loves them and helps them through their darkness. The song starts with the singer and their struggles through the metaphor of being underground. The first chorus starts as "I woke up underground/ Not a light, not a sound/ I threw my voice into the dark/ But the dark had no remark." The singer is in a place that I have found myself in before. The feeling of being lost and confused and feeling like no one can help you is a feeling that I am very intimate with which can be seen in this line in the second verse, "I stood up and looked around/ There was nothing to be found/ Just a world I couldn't see". Then the other person comes in and saves the singer from their own darkness. "Then a light broke through the black...That little light began to grow/ That little light was closing in/ And suddenly I'm floating/ Love, I see you now, oh/ You found me here underground." When I was in some of my darkest places, I had family and friends who were there for me and got me the help I needed.

The confession is beyond silent Desperation grows because they keep laughing Like normal people As if my world's not on fire. I am breathing underwater No time to cry Only to drown. The edge of darkness is rising in my vision For one more day I try to face the music But I fail. Ask me no questions I am shattered The wind blows my empire Into dust. This is the prelude to terror I heard the owl call my name And the fallen angels take me To the city of stars of bones. But the stars burn Brighter than I can handle And the angels sing songs of cruelty of malice. So I descend back to the ground And plant my bare feet Deep in the soil And breathe a deep breath connecting to nature. The laughter and fire and water still come As if I could fight against them But now I have friends. The trees And the flowers And the bushes Hold back the fire and the water, the laughter. Now I sit With my new friends Away from the world and I can Breathe.

I believe that the most impactful way to combat climate change is through major companies and policy changes. The individual can contribute to the fight against climate change, but ultimately it is just a drop in the bucket compared to what the world governments can do. Policies and laws like the EPA and the 30x30 goal are impactful changes that will help the fight against climate change. Clean water programs, tighter restrictions on chemical factories, and increased protections for endangered species and ecosystems are just a few ways that would help the fight against climate change. and I want to be a part of that change eventually after I have completed my Master's and Ph.D. programs. However, I still believe there are ways that individuals can help in the cause of combating climate change. My broad goals are to reduce my waste throughout the semester; both my energy waste and physical waste. Some of my specific goals are to buy less online, to ride the bus more to reduce gas usage, to reduce food waste, and to decrease my water usage. I also had the goal to bring my recycling to a plant so it was not thrown away. Riding the bus and reducing food waste are goals that were surprisingly easy for me. I ride the bus every day, and I have not been to the grocery store in a couple of weeks, because I am using up all the food I have in my pantry and freezer first. It made me realize that I do not need to go to the store as frequently as I was and that I probably overspend on food in my budget. I am also able to decrease my water usage using timers on my phone. Decreasing my shower times makes me realize that I don’t need to shower for as long as I want, and there are other ways to relax besides wasting water. When I do buy online, I make sure that I buy everything I need at once so that the items all came in the same box. There are still some aspects of zero waste that I need to work on, but I believe that this project was a good jumpstart for me to learn and adapt my lifestyle to be more zero waste. I will continue to research more ways to decrease the waste in my life so that I can contribute, even if it is in a small way, to the healing of our planet.

Since I was a young girl, I have had a special connection with nature. I grew up in the swamps and lakes of South Louisiana, with trips to Florida beaches every summer. When I was deciding what I wanted to do with my life, turning back to nature felt right. I was unsure whether I wanted to focus on terrestrial or marine sciences, but then I decided to take a look back at what made me most happy growing up. I loved all forms of nature, but I had a special connection with the ocean. I got my SCUBA certification at the age of 14 and I always loved going to the New Orleans Aquarium. Throughout my undergraduate studies, I was further convinced that I was following my passion. I was recently accepted into my dream university for a Masters's Program in Marine Biology. After my Master's program, I want to work in conservation or ecology with Marine Ecosystems in the form of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), as well as assist in species-level conservations and recovery programs in collaboration with Nonprofit Organizations (NPOs). I see this journey to necessarily include work with nationally and internationally accredited aquariums. Conservation of marine life is important to the world, but there are also benefits to our society. If sustainable fisheries become established as a regular practice, species populations will increase and the ecosystems in the ocean will become healthier. Healthier oceans will be able to be better carbon sinks, which will help with climate change. Science is such an integral part of our world that we still have so much to learn about. There are new species being discovered all the time, and there are new inventions that are being developed every day to help fight the problems that we have caused. Science also has endless possibilities to help the less fortunate in our society. GMOs made to be drought-resistant and pest-resistant that can be grown in food deserts and in severe climates would be able to enrich the diets and nutrition of people who are otherwise without variety in their diet or people who have no food. Innovations in desalination and water purification could reduce costs and allow these kinds of devices to be more common in places that need them either due to lack of freshwater or contamination of water. Hydroponic farming is another form of science that will allow for a larger amount of food to be grown in a smaller area.