United States: Sienna Gronley
Program: UW Marine Biology in the Florida Keys, Winter Intersession
Sienna’s Major: Undecided
What did you learn about yourself or the world because of your experience?
I learned about our oceans and some of the problems currently affecting them. I already had previous knowledge about various problems that the oceans are facing. I have known about coral bleaching and ocean warming. This course has expanded this knowledge for me and shown me that these are just broad problems the ocean is facing. I learned how these seemingly small changes can affect an entire ecosystem and how they can completely destroy species populations.
My goals have evolved from this program to include a future job where I work hands-on and where I can do research.
What is the moment you are most proud of?
I am most proud of completing the research experiment. I decided to do research on a sea creature that I had learned about in my class. This project did not start out well for me, and I was doubting myself and my ideas. My professors encouraged me to keep going and see what happened over another night. Fortunately, they were right, and my experiment turned out to be successful. I am proud of myself for not quitting and for working hard to solve a problem.
How will your experience benefit you in the future? How might it affect your future career or studies?
This experience will benefit me as it was very educational and helped me realize future goals for myself. My goals have evolved from this program to include a future job where I work hands-on and where I can do research. I really appreciated learning about different careers in research and how that can shape my future. This has made me realize that life doesn’t happen in a straight line and how it takes time to work towards the future I want for myself.