I grew up in Colorado, where I attended the University of Colorado at Boulder for my undergrad degree in Environmental Biology, where I ironically fell in love with marine ecology. After graduating I became a dive instructor and taught in the Florida Keys, Northern California, and then in Hawaii for ten years. I came to Alaska in 2015 to attend graduate school and drive boats for Lazy Otter Charters and have been here ever since. I now manage the Fisheries, Aquatic Science and Technology (FAST) Lab at Alaska Pacific University, where I’m also the Diving Safety OTicer and teach Scientific Diving. I earned my master’s degree at APU studying sea cucumber distribution in Prince William Sound, where I was able to complete 523 underwater surveys and developed a new technique for estimating benthic transect area. I also worked seasonally for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG), where I ran logistics, training, and underwater surveys for the Southcentral Dive Team.