A Winding Career Path Leads to Water, Florida

Submitted by Valerie to the Women Mind the Water digital stories project, in conjunction with the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street storytelling website and traveling exhibition "Water/Ways."

This story was recorded at Northeastern University Marine Science Center in Massachusetts.

"I grew up in Florida less than a mile from the ocean and spent a lot of time beach combing and swimming, that sort of thing. I think my relationship with water back then was more of a hobby and recreational one. As I grew up, I didn’t even really realize that you could have a career related to the ocean. So, I kind of took a varied path to get to the place I am today. I was a biology major at Northeastern. Even though you’d think marine biology would be a natural fit I first explored some other aspects of biology. I did an internship in a pharmaceutical lab and then I did an internship at a doctor’s office. There was not a good fit. I wasn’t finding my passion.

Then, I did an internship in Honduras where I learned to scuba dive. Finally, it clicked, and I realized, 'Oh my gosh, I love the ocean and I love science so why don’t I combine those two loves of mine?' Since then I took every opportunity I could to delve into studying the ocean. I got an internship here at the Marine Science Center here in Nahant where I currently work. I also started to explore my interest in science communication at that point. So then as I continued studying, I got my master’s degree studying the seaweeds that live here in Nahant outside the door from the Marine Science Center.

I continued to be really interested in both studying the ocean but also sharing everything I was finding with others. When I graduated, I realized that maybe the sharing everything with others was more exciting with me than studying the ocean. So now I work in science communication and I try to share all the great research we’re doing with the ocean with others."

Asset ID: 7072