I knew it was a step in the right direction towards a future career in marine biology, but I didn’t know how important my decision to study abroad second year was going to change my life. After being accepted into the Gerace Research Center program in San Salvador (a tiny Bahamian island that is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been), I spent about two weeks down there snorkeling and doing a research project on marine invertebrates: mine was Ophiocoma echinata, the blunt-spined brittle star. The lack of sleep and extremely busy schedule, small portions of food (for what I was burning off) in the cafeteria, and sinus infection definitely tested my physical limits. I was almost completely cut off from the outside world with no phone service and a line to use the 4 working computers with money and time restrictions on them. I missed my family and Joe and sleep a LOT, but I met some of the most amazing UVA students ever and I would be so lost without some of them that have guided me in directions I didn’t even know were possible.
The San Sal program was awesome because we got 1-on-1 time with UVA’s finest professors, Doc Diehl and Dave Smith! They’ve been so influential in my career path at this point I can’t imagine not knowing them. I got to learn about their own research, and they reached out to us so much that we all became a family over those 2 weeks abroad…and we still get together for reunions (sometimes at the Professors’ houses!) which is so special to me! The above picture is of Rebecca, Chrissy, Dave Smith and I when we all went to Shortstop, the local bar in San Sal famous for its sketchy locals, cheap rum, grafitti walls, and divine conch fritters :D Yes, the professors came out to get down too haha. I miss that <3
“In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” – Albert Schweitzer
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