I was a student for the Marine Science Institute in my 6th grade year. I had been a struggling reader and felt stupid most of my childhood. When we were on the boat, a world of science opened up to me. We collected a previously unidentified species and I really wanted to know what it was. The captain plunked down a huge book in front of me, showed me the basics of fish ID, and I set about figuring it out. It was hard, but not a struggle. When I figured out what it was (the black-finned sucker fish) I beamed with joy. I finally felt like I was good at something: Science.

In high school, I volunteered for the summer. One day, an instructor was suddenly sick and I had to teach a station on the ship. It was the first time I had ever had to teach somebody something, and it was the second big life lesson I learned from my time at MSI: I could share my knowledge with others.

I studied environmental science and geology in college, returned to MSI as a marine instructor. For two years I worked on board the ship and was transformed by the experience. I became a science teacher after I moved on from MSI, and always look back on how my time at MSI shaped me. I cannot think of a better organization to learn and grow from.

MSI nurtures the curiosity of young scientists, for creates a wealth of data free for scientists to analyze, and raises awareness of environmental issues. Their contribution to the lives of people who explore with them is priceless.