I am a first-generation college student who is currently pursuing a degree in Marine Biology at Unity College. I am passionate about understanding and protecting our oceans. I believe that marine biology is a vital field of study, and I want to be a part of the solution to the many challenges facing our oceans, such as climate change, pollution, and overfishing. I grew up in a coastal town, and I have always been fascinated by the ocean. I spent my childhood swimming, diving, and learning about the marine life that surrounded me. I was also lucky enough to have the opportunity to participate in several science programs, which furthered my interest in this field. One of my most memorable experiences was participating in a research program that studied the effects of climate change on coral reefs. I was able to collect data and conduct experiments, which gave me a first-hand look at the challenges facing coral reefs. This experience inspired me to pursue a career in marine biology, so that I can help to protect these important ecosystems. I am confident that I have the skills and the determination to succeed in marine biology. I am a hard worker, and I am always willing to learn new things. I am also a good problem solver, and I am creative. I believe that these qualities will make me a successful marine biologist. In addition to my academic achievements, I am also involved in several extracurricular activities that have helped me to develop my leadership skills and my passion for marine biology. I am currently an SSI SCUBA instructor which allows me to educate people on the ocean, its importance, its threats and what we can do. After graduating from college, I plan to pursue a Masters in Marine Predator Conservation. I want to conduct research on climate change and its impact on coral reefs. I also want to develop new technologies that can be used to conserve marine life. I believe that this scholarship would help me to achieve my goals in several ways. First, it would help me to pay for my education. Second, it would give me the opportunity to conduct research at a marine research lab. Third, it would allow me to network with other marine biologists and professionals in the field. I am confident that this scholarship would help me to make a difference in the world. I am a hard worker and I am dedicated to my studies. I am also passionate about marine biology and I am committed to protecting our oceans. I would be honored to be considered for this scholarship. Thank you for your time and consideration.

My plans for the future are to pursue a career in marine biology. I am passionate about protecting our oceans and the creatures that live in them. I am particularly interested in studying climate change and its impact on marine ecosystems. I also want to develop new technologies that can be used to conserve marine life. I have always been fascinated by the ocean. I grew up on the coast of Florida, and I spent my summers swimming, fishing, and exploring the tide pools. I was always amazed by the diversity of life in the ocean, and I knew that I wanted to learn more about it. I am currently a senior at Unity College, majoring in Marine Biology with a 3.87 GPA. I am involved in several extracurricular activities that have helped me to develop my leadership skills and my passion for marine biology. After graduating from college, I plan to pursue a Masters in Marine Predator Conservation. I want to conduct research on climate change and its impact on marine ecosystems. I also want to develop new technologies that can be used to conserve marine life. I believe that this scholarship would help me to achieve my goals in several ways. First, it would help me to pay for my education. Second, it would give me the opportunity to conduct research at a marine research lab. Third, it would allow me to network with other marine biologists and professionals in the field. I am confident that this scholarship would help me to make a difference in the world. I am a hard worker and I am dedicated to my studies. I am also passionate about marine biology and I am committed to protecting our oceans. I would be honored to be considered for this scholarship. Here are some specific examples of how the scholarship would help me: -I would be able to take more advanced courses in marine biology. -I would be able to participate in research projects that are related to my interests. -I would be able to travel to conferences and workshops to learn from other marine biologists. -I would be able to network with professionals in the field and get advice on my career goals. -I believe that this scholarship would help me to become a more knowledgeable and skilled marine biologist. I am confident that I would be able to use my knowledge and skills to make a positive impact on the world. I am particularly interested in studying the impact of climate change on coral reefs. Coral reefs are incredibly important ecosystems, and they are under threat from climate change. I want to use my research to help us understand how climate change is impacting coral reefs, and I want to develop new strategies for protecting them. I am also interested in developing new technologies that can be used to conserve marine life. For example, I am interested in developing new methods for tracking marine animals, and I am interested in developing new methods for cleaning up marine pollution. I believe that marine biology is a vital field of study. Our oceans are essential to life on Earth, and they are facing a number of serious threats. I am committed to using my education to help protect our oceans and the creatures that live in them. I am confident that I can make a difference in this field, and I am excited to start my journey as a marine biologist. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Dear Scholarship Committee, I am writing to express my interest in the Undergraduate Female STEM Scholarship. I am a senior at Unity College, majoring in Marine Biology with a 3.87 GPA. I live in Daytona Beach, Florida. I have always been fascinated by the ocean and its creatures. I grew up on the coast of Florida, and I spent my summers swimming, fishing, and exploring the waters in the area. I was always amazed by the diversity of life in the ocean, and I knew that I wanted to learn more about it. In high school, I took every opportunity to learn about marine biology, including taking AP classes and doing a science program that was offered and graduating with honors. I learned about the threats facing our oceans, such as climate change, pollution, and overfishing. I also learned about the importance of ocean conservation. I am excited to continue my education in marine biology at Unity College. I am eager to learn more about the ocean and its creatures, and I am committed to using my knowledge to help protect our oceans. I am particularly interested in studying climate change and its impact on marine ecosystems. I also want to develop new technologies that can be used to conserve marine life. I believe that marine biology is a vital field of study. Our oceans are essential to life on Earth, and they are facing several serious threats. I am committed to using my education to help protect our oceans and the creatures that live in them. I am confident that I can make a difference in this field, and I am excited to start my journey as a marine biologist. In addition to my academic achievements, I am also involved in several extracurricular activities that have helped me to develop my leadership skills and my passion for marine biology. I am a SCUBA instructor and use the opportunity to educate the public on our oceans, its threats and what we can do about it. I have also volunteered at several beach, ocean and springs clean-ups. I am a hard worker and I am dedicated to my studies. I am confident that I would be a valuable asset to your scholarship program. I am a bright, motivated, and passionate student who is committed to making a difference in the world. I would be honored to be considered for your scholarship. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Paige Rowdon

I grew up on the coast of Florida. The ocean is home to me. I was 3 the first time I ever put on a mask, snorkel and fins. I started diving in 1999, at 8 years old. I am currently a SCUBA instructor for SSI to educate people on our precious oceans and allow them to share its beauty so they can also appreciate it. This allows me to give and educate until I can finish my education and continue further work to protect our oceans. I care about protecting our oceans because they are essential to life on Earth. The oceans provide us with food, oxygen, and climate regulation. They are also home to an incredible diversity of life. The oceans cover more than 70% of the Earth's surface and contain 97% of the Earth's water. They are home to over 200,000 known species of plants and animals, and scientists believe that there may be millions of species that have yet to be discovered. The oceans are also essential to life on land. They provide food for billions of people, and they help to regulate the Earth's climate by absorbing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. However, the oceans are facing several threats, including climate change, pollution, and overfishing. Climate change is causing the oceans to become warmer and more acidic, which is harming marine life. Pollution is also a major problem, and it is causing the oceans to become dirty and toxic. Overfishing is another major problem, and it is depleting fish populations. I believe that we need to take action to protect our oceans. We can do this by reducing our emissions of greenhouse gases, reducing our pollution, and ending overfishing. We can also support organizations that are working to protect the oceans. I plan to use my degree in marine sciences to help protect our oceans. I will conduct research on the threats facing the oceans, and I will work to develop solutions to these problems. I will also educate the public about the importance of ocean conservation. Here are some specific ways I plan to use my degree to protect our oceans: -Conduct research on the threats facing the oceans, such as climate change, pollution, and overfishing. -Develop solutions to these problems, such as developing new technologies for reducing pollution and developing new fishing methods that are less harmful to marine life. -Educate the public about the importance of ocean conservation, through presentations, workshops, and articles. -Work with policymakers to develop laws and regulations that protect the oceans. -Volunteer for organizations that are working to protect the oceans. -I am passionate about protecting our oceans, and I believe that my degree in marine sciences will give me the skills and knowledge I need to make a difference. Here are some additional things that we can all do to help protect our oceans: -Reduce our consumption of seafood. -Choose sustainable seafood when we do eat seafood. -Reduce our use of plastics. -Recycle and compost. -Support organizations that are working to protect the oceans. -Together, we can make a difference. We can create a future where the oceans are healthy and vibrant.

I have always been fascinated by the ocean and its creatures. When I was a child, I would spend hours swimming in the ocean, learning to scuba dive at a very young age and would have considered myself a young autodidact. I was particularly interested in sharks, the reefs and how they are interconnected and I would often dream of becoming a marine biologist. As I got older, I began to learn more about the threats facing sharks and reefs. I was horrified to learn that overfishing, habitat loss and bycatch are driving many shark species to extinction. As I learn more about climate change and its effects on the reefs, I am both terrified and devastated. After personally witnessing the reefs I grew up diving in, after a five-year break to travel, dying right before my eyes in such a short period, I knew that I had to do something to help. This was the catalyst to pursue college again as an adult for this cause. That's why I decided to focus my time and energy on marine sciences. I am currently majoring in marine biology at Unity College. I am learning about the biology, ecology, and conservation of sharks and reefs. I am also gaining experience in research and applying for internships at this moment. I plan to continue my education with a Masters Degree in Marine Predator Conservation and I believe the core to the success of this is to save our reefs. My ultimate goal is to become a marine scientist who works to conserve sharks and reefs. I want to use my knowledge and skills to help protect these amazing creatures and their habitats. I believe that sharks and reefs play an important role in our oceans, and I am committed to doing everything I can to save them. I am particularly interested in using my skills to develop new technologies for shark conservation. For example, I am interested in developing new methods for tracking sharks and monitoring their populations. I am also interested in developing new methods for reducing bycatch. I believe that technology can play a vital role in shark conservation. By developing new technologies, we can gain a better understanding of sharks and their habitats. We can also develop new tools for protecting them. I am excited to continue my education and research in marine sciences. I am confident that I can make a difference in the fight to conserve sharks and reefs. I am grateful for the opportunity to pursue my dreams, and I am determined to make a positive impact on the world. Through my involvement in school, my time teaching SCUBA diving and tutoring young people on ecology, I have learned a great deal about the challenges facing sharks and reefs. I have also learned about the importance of working together to conserve these amazing creatures. I am committed to using my education, skills, and experience to help conserve sharks and reefs. I believe that we can make a difference if we work together. Together, we can create a future where sharks and reefs thrive.

I grew up very poor but had a father who was determined to show me that the world is bigger than the tourist trap with a high violent crime rate that we called a home town. However, it was a coastal town and he was quite the redneck to be frank. He loved all manner of outdoor activities. The water though was where his heart and soul was. We went out canoeing, boating, fishing or anything my father could think of. He also was gifted an open water certification for SCUBA diving as a teenager. This opened up a whole new world for him. Now this is a very expensive sport but he learned that if he worked for the shop on the side, it would pay for the hobby. So this man worked two jobs, and still had time to do so much with his daughter. He learned quickly that I was going to fall in love with it too from how naturally I picked up snorkeling around the age of 4 so he decided he needed to become an instructor to make more money to pay for not only his hobby, but mine as well and that's just what he did. When I was 8 I became the first SCUBA Ranger in the SSI program. I was the prototype class to see if it would even be successful, or honestly safe. We would dive in aquariums for tourists with full schools of fish and sea turtles and sharks. I was in love. Now I am an instructor and did it the same way my dad did. I went to college twice and moved around the country for while trying to figure out what I should do. One day it dawned on me that I was asking the wrong question. It wasn't what I should do but what I could or wanted to do. I wanted to be a Marine Biologist from the time I was a child until I enrolled in college when everyone telling me 'there's no money or jobs in it' finally got to me. I tried two different majors and I just didn't have it in me to finish, even if I was the top of the class, because my heart wasn't there. Just being eco-friendly isn't enough for me. I want to do more. Many people struggle to find a purpose if they ever do at all. I was lucky to know mine the entire time. I decided I didn't care about the money, or even the jobs. I would create the jobs if I had to. I wanted to learn everything I could about conserving the ocean then make it happen. I still do. I am not a traditional student. I am 31 years old finally following my dream. I have been working very hard to maintain a 4.0 and pay as much as I can out of pocket to not take out loans so that I can focus more on of ocean and shark conservation as soon as possible after school instead of working to pay bills. My short term goal is to finish my bachelors degree and find a great masters program where I will be hands on making a difference. Then packing my bags to where ever the ocean needs me to help the most. I am dedicating my life to this. No children. No spouse. And this scholarship would pay for half of what is left of my bachelors. It would mean I would graduate debt free and faster. I could start changing the world faster.

Luna and Jack are currently my dogs. Luna is a harlequin Great Dane and Jack is a deaf Dalmatian Heeler mix. Jack has three legs due to my having to amputate. He was abandoned in Texas as a puppy and hit by a car. The humane society that took him in cast the leg but did not repair it. They told the foster who took him in that they repaired the leg. This is what they told me. After a year of his leg chronically causing pain, getting worse and not responding as well to medicine anymore, I took him into a specialist in Knoxville, Tennessee. We decided to amputate. He also has epilepsy from the trauma. Luna was also a rescue from a puppy mill but in full health. Luna is seven years old and Jack will be six soon. I adopted them both at around a year old. Luna is the most expressive dog one has ever met and does not hide her feelings about anything and Jack is just the happiest, most grateful dog no matter how he is feeling. He is always smiling and makes people who don't like or who are scared of dogs fall in love. Luna is an amazing judge of character and if she likes a person, they have a heart of gold and she will 'velcro' herself to their side. It is hard for me to put into words the role they have played in my life. It is as if they breathed new life into me and relit the spark in my heart. I don't have children but I imagine the love that I feel for them is close to that. Just watching them sleep sometimes can bring tears to my eyes and I can feel my chest fill with overwhelming love. Struggling with depression it is sometimes hard to get myself to get out of bed and do activities. Since adopting them this has not been a struggle. The three of us go out for adventures every chance we get. We travel. One of our favorite things to do is find a dog park everywhere we go. We go to festivals and concerts and a variety of other social activities. We also do peaceful activities that bring us closer to nature such as camping. We do however enjoy sleeping in and snuggling late into the morning when we can. They gave me the courage to pursue the path I am currently on, my passion instead of the practical path that I was following that I thought was expected of me. Shortly after adopting them I realized that I would not ever be happy being a nurse, although it is an amazing career, because my heart belongs to the ocean. Marine biology is the direction I have wanted to go since I was a child and was talked out of it as a young adult. This new light and life they breathed into me gave me the strength to just go for it even if I failed. They have given me back my inner child. Someone I thought I lost way too young. Someone excited for life and what it has to offer. I can laugh again and do so often. I feel joy. They make me feel safe. As a person with C-PTSD from trauma in my life, this is something I never thought I would ever feel again. They taught me how to love and be loved. I will never want for love. Because I will always have it now.

I do agree with this statement. I feel as an older student, 31 years old, I have enough experience in life to see this even more clear than I did when I was young. As a teenager and young adult, I saw life very black and white. Watching my mother become an alcoholic was a no-brainer to me back then. 'Just stop drinking, how hard is that?'. It is the same thing we think or say to every smoker. When I was 14, even though I had straight A's and was not a kid to get into trouble I started smoking to cope with my mothers violence and drinking. I figured I would just quit when she did or when I was 18 and out of the house. She still drinks, and when I turned 18, I tried to quit smoking. Then again at 20 and 25 and again at 28. I still smoke. This taught me that things aren't black and white. Sometimes we can't just make a decision, not consider the potential consequences and go back on that decision. Things aren't just as easy or as simple as they sound. Or rather the solution may be simple, but the path or method isn't easy. Simple and easy are not synonyms. This is now a challenge I face every day. However, I will not give up on quitting. I will quit one day. I have experienced an attempt on my life where I lost a baby. I got PTSD from this. I tried meekly to seek help but my doctor was not a good one. I started drinking and self medicating. This was a rough year. I decided enough was enough and moved across the country, went back to school, get on my feet, started mental health treatment and changed my life. A few weeks ago I got diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in the same week I lost my younger healthy grandmother with whom I am very close. This time I am not self medicating and drinking. I am not picking up another bad habit to recover from on top of the trauma itself. I just signed up for the next class, continued therapy, and went back to work after a week of bereavement. It is a struggle. I am hurting. But burying myself in poor decisions and responding poorly to this will only make it worse. It will only give me something else I have to recover from. Living with my alcoholic parent and even continuing to watch her as an adult has given me this insight that even when I do fall and make poor decisions, particularly after getting PTSD and not fighting and advocating for myself right away, I have two choices. I can chose to respond like her and let the challenge consume me and bury myself in poor decisions and end up in pain constantly and miserable, or I can do everything in my power to keep my head up and face the challenges as if they were just that, challenges. All challenges are able to be overcome if you choose to try. Neither way is easy but the answer is pretty simple to me. I would rather overcome the challenge and see what's on the other side than to let them bury me until I am six feet under myself. I choose to respond as a warrior, not a victim. I have a choice. This is the insight it has taught me.