Summer 2025
The summer between my undergrad and graduate studies was full of work, fun, and growth! It gave me a brief period away from academia while expanding my skillset.
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Work
I ended up working two part-time jobs this summer, in part because it's very difficult to find jobs in science at this time. However, I found alternatives that allowed me to prepare for the upcoming year: working in a jewelry store and cleaning people's homes. Though both positions were out of my comfort zone, I found that each job enhanced my perseverance and people skills.
Gardening
At the start of the summer, I decided to try cultivating a native plant garden. Native plants are better suited to their ecosystems than introduced plants, and they provide benefits such as nutrients for other species. With so many areas being developed over the last few centuries, one of the largest threats to biodiversity is habitat loss. Native plant gardens can increase the environment's resilience, so I wanted to give it a shot! I planted species such as coreopsis, sunflowers, and coneflowers. I also tried my hand at propagating milkweed, which is essential to monarch butterflies. It took a few tries and some luck, but I managed to grow several pieces! Unfortunately, the combination of pouring rain followed by intense heat earlier this summer killed almost everything. Not the result I was hoping for, but it showed me I still have a lot to learn about gardening.
SCUBA
One of the most exciting parts of this summer was earning my PADI Open Water Diver certification! Many jobs in the marine realm require SCUBA training, and this certification is the first step of the process. To become certified, I had to do eLearning and classroom sessions hosted by Scott's Scuba Service, as well as confined water (pool) dives and open water dives. The Open Water Diver course taught important skills such as assembling and disassembling your gear, controlling buoyancy, navigation, and survival skills. While the latter will hopefully be unnecessary, I am thankful for the experience and now feel more comfortable in the water!
I was nervous to dive since I'd never tried it before, but detailed instruction and learning through experience made all the difference. Here are a few tips that sound like common sense but helped me improve:
- Equalize (pop) your ears before they start hurting, and don't be afraid to partially ascend and try again.
- Your breath controls more of your buoyancy than you realize.
- You don't have to move quickly; take your time!
The open water dives (a.k.a. the best part) were at Crusty's Quarry in Volant, PA. The visibility was low on the first day at about 8 feet, but the second day was much improved (about 20 feet). The quarry was home to many organisms: algae, pondweed (potentially hydrilla or Eurasian watermilfoil, which are both invasive), and fish such as bass, catfish, and sunfish. The fish are used to divers, which allowed for some close encounters! My favorite creature in the quarry was the freshwater jellyfish (Craspedacusta sowerbii), which are introduced from China and about the size of a fingernail. I couldn't take any pictures since I don't have underwater photography gear, but here's a video posted by the quarry!
Learning to dive was a great experience, and I look forward to exploring the ocean!
Assateague and Ocean City, MD
At the end of August, my parents and I took a quick vacation to spend some quality time before I head across the pond. We chose Ocean City, MD since it's one of the nearest beaches to landlocked western Pennsylvania. However, we chose to avoid most of the crowds by spending most of our time at Assateague Island, which is known for its wild ponies. We participated in a naturalist-led discovery of the life in the Chesapeake Bay; our findings included comb jellies (which are not closely related to jellyfish, being in the phylum Ctenophora rather than Cnidaria), trumpetfish, and various minnows. My favorite find was a lugworm egg sac, which looked like a gooey mess but held many eggs!
My dad and I also had a wildlife encounter while swimming in the Atlantic Ocean. Anyone who has visited the beaches in Maryland knows that they are not famous for their clarity. We both felt something slimy touch us, but it wasn't until I looked down that I caught a glimpse of a jellyfish the size of a volleyball! After seeing several others wash onshore, we concluded they were moon jellies (Aurelia aurita), which barely sting, though I thankfully can't contribute to this claim. It was fascinating to see marine life in its natural habitat as someone who grew up landlocked.
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This summer has been both a challenge and a gift. A time to rest and grow. While I look forward to what's next, I appreciate this time in between.
Juli - This looks like a great summer! Learning to dive is so exciting, you're about to see some amazing things underwater! Can't wait to hear about how the program is going :)
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