Like many others, I didn’t know what I wanted when I first came to Rutgers. I found Marine Biology almost by luck, and its shaped who I am as a student and as a global citizen. I’ve learned both in the classroom and on the beaches, on campus and at Palmer Station, Antarctica, all through the Rutgers Department of Marine Sciences.
Rutgers University is already a very strong name, but especially in my major. Not many organizations in the world prepare their undergraduates like Rutgers does. In my time here I was exposed to real world sampling techniques, identification of relevant species, collecting and processing samples, and am graduating feeling confident both in the lab and in the field.
I was sent as an undergraduate researcher to Palmer Station, Antarctica. Here I not only learned how to be a valuable asset to a team by collecting and processing data, but also how to live and thrive in a small community. Rutgers prepares me for real life experiences by giving us hands on education.
My next step is as a Marine Science Instructor at the Catalina Islands Marine Institute. It’s an incredible experience to share my passion, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable teaching others if I wasn’t confident. Normally, going to a far off place for a new job would make many people anxious, but I’ll be a Rutgers graduate.