I am originally from Seattle, Washington and grew up exploring the mountains and the coasts of the Pacific Northwest. After taking a marine science class in high school, I knew I wanted to be a marine biologist and knew I wanted to teach the subject. I started the path to this goal by receiving my B.A. in marine science from the University of San Diego. I then took a year off to explore the field which led me to a job at the NOAA-NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center. This was an excellent experience that allowed me to travel to and learn about fishing