Fellowship Experiences

Where I live, this time of year is usually one of the best times.

Truth be told, at the start of my PhD journey I did not expect to focus all of my research on the Chesapeake Bay. A combination of opportunity and pragmatism led me to let go of my initial study area in my home country of El Salvador and pursue a fellowship with Maryland Sea Grant.

Most people remember learning about the water cycle in grade school: evaporation, transpiration, precipitation, and condensation. We may not all remember exactly how they fit into the cycle, but can draw some resemblance from memory. I am willing to bet you can come up with something fairly close if you tried to now.

I couldn’t stop smiling when I saw my colleague’s question in an email. “Would you be available to staff a 24-hour Ocean Exploration STEM event with Admiral Gallaudet, Dr. Ballard, and Senator Moran next week?”

Deciding whether to pursue a PhD in a scientific field can feel the same as Hamlet’s phrase contemplating between existence and non-existence. For a young person deciding his or her life’s course, it’s a pretty big decision. A PhD is a long-term commitment filled with a lot of work and little pay. Will you enjoy it? Or will you simply endure it?