It's all about perspective by Kristina

It's all about perspective by Kristina - August 2017 Scholarship Essay

The thing about teaching is that you are no longer the one hunched over a spiral notebook, trying to color-code while jotting down key facts being spouted from the front of the room. While this may be the case, my physics professor is a firm believer that teachers learn significantly more from their students than vice versa. With this philosophy in mind, the question becomes what would I most like to continue learning about? For me, the answer is rather simple -- marine biology or, if non classroom courses are permitted, scuba diving -- preferably open water or master diver.
Growing up, aquarium visits accompanied by behind the scenes tours and later, "junior aquarist" days were foundational to my interests. All marine sciences fascinate me but if I were to narrow it down, I would choose to teach the study of marine mollusks, as they are the second largest phylum including species ranging from simplistic bivalves to complex cephalopods like the flamboyant cuttlefish. Everything these species do intrigues me and I can only imagine how incredible it would feel to introduce the topic to students as interested as I am, with the hopes my introductions engender a love for these creatures and a desire to protect our oceans.
As for diving, I became certified at the age of fourteen before working my way up to become a master diver as a seventeen year old. Going hand in hand with marine biology, there is nothing I love more than descending into the underwater world of kelp forests and coral reefs. I remember my first breath underwater quite distinctly, and the wonder it sparked. It would be an honor to become a NAUI instructor and spread a passion few people share (without spending the majority of my time in a classroom).