I have been wanting to go scuba diving ever since I snorkeled in Hawaii as a little girl—being in that underwater world just looked fascinating, as you get to be a real life mermaid! I never thought I would actually achieve that dream. I lived almost 3 hours away from the ocean, so it just didn’t seem to be in the cards. That was until I went on the expedition to the Arctic in 2025 where I discovered my passion for the ocean and the role I could play in conservation. The moment I got off that boat I knew I wanted to dive, and not only that but I wanted to dive in Antarctica in 2028. Since then, I have been working toward this goal of joining the amazing undersea world of diving.

The months after that expedition in 2025 were a blur, as life and senior year got in the way, but it all slowed down again when I finally made it to Hawaii. I’d planned this trip with Dr. Ashley Bugge’s help. I couldn’t have done any of this without her: she worked with me to find an instructor and get me going on my online learning through PADI. Finally, it was time to get in the water and dive for the first time! I was terrified, my legs felt numb from carrying my scuba kit, my nose already stung of salt, and my head was screaming “Why are you doing this, what's wrong with being on land?”

My many years of swim lessons and swim team didn’t truly prepare me for this moment. I just kept going though: put on your wetsuit, breathe. One arm in your kit, breathe. Now the other, breathe. With this pattern, I didn’t even comprehend we’d already made it in the water, and I was already under the surface, my breath switched to the dry compressed air. The days flew by as I completed my skills under the water. I got to dive with turtles, rays, and supposedly an octopus that I couldn’t see. Without realizing it, I’d joined this world that had once seemed so far away. I’d gone on my own vibrant journey like the traveler in Oh, the Places You’ll Go!