Choosing Rutgers was undoubtedly the best decision I made as an undergraduate. While a student at Rutgers, I have had every opportunity to pursue my interests and develop my skills as a scientist. Many of the courses offered involve getting students out of the classroom to work with real equipment and methods in the field, and there are plenty of opportunities to work or volunteer in a lab. During my time at Rutgers, I have caught and tagged shad in the Raritan River for Dr. Olaf Jensen, spent two weeks at the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory in Port Norris, NJ growing oysters for a class in aquaculture, taken a training course in the operation of unmanned underwater gliders, and even worked as a field team leader in Antarctica for Dr. Oscar Schofield. Rutgers allowed me to find what I loved to do and provided access to extensive resources and faculty that enabled me to pursue my interests beyond what I would have thought possible.

In the Fall, I’ll be attending Texas A&M as a Ph.D. student working in the lab of Dr. Lisa Campbell. I am looking forward to the challenges and adventures this next stage of my life will bring, and I am grateful for the opportunities Rutgers has afforded me and to the faculty that have encouraged and guided me. I do not think I would be where I am today if I had spent the last few years anywhere else.