I have always had questions, but key life events moved me to research. I spent eight years traveling, exploring, and acquiring a diverse skill set and world view. I worked on a sailboat in the Bahamas that deeply affected my awareness of the environment. I built and traveled across the country in a veggie oil-powered school bus that inspired my fascination with microbiology and biological degradation. Both experiences showed me how rewarding sharing ideas with people can be. My mind full of questions, appreciation for the environment, curiosity about microbes, and desire to share ideas are a few reasons why I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Ocean Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech.