Girls in Science – Gracie

I’m an aspiring marine biologist who lives 100 miles away from the ocean. I can’t just take regular trips to the ocean in my everyday life to gain hands-on experience in the field, so what experience I do have is very little.

Not only is that disappointing because it means I’m not getting as much of a head start in my career, but it also means I’m not able to do something I really love. I’ve been fascinated by the ocean and its creatures since I was young. When I was a kid, I would sit in front of the TV and watch Blue Planet with David Attenborough over and over again, amazed by the way life works under the waves.

I loved the ocean, and wanted to learn everything there was to learn about it. There’s also another side to that, though. Yes, I’ve always been drawn to marine life. But who’s to say I really want to make a lifelong career out of it if I don’t know what it’s all about?

When I heard about the Girls in Science program, I was elated. If I got in, I could

gain real experience with the ocean and ocean life for the first time, and have a chance to answer questions I’ve gone much of my life waiting to settle. Because I have had so little experience with the ocean, Girls in Science sounded like my wildest dream!

And it was, really.

The Girls in Science Fellowship did for me exactly what I’d hoped it would. From participating in real research, to informational lectures about the ocean, to building hydrophones and using them on boats, and finally hearing from ocean scientists who had been in the field for years, I learned more than I ever expected!

Loving the work affirmed for me that, yes, this is what I want to make into a career, and yes, it’s possible for even someone inexperienced like me.

I’m grateful to everyone I learned from in the Girls in Science Fellowship.  It is an experience I’ll take with me throughout my career- the one that set me on the career path I will probably be in for the rest of my life.