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I have this intense love
for the oceans.
I want to see our oceans
survive for the future,
and I want to be able to have
future generations experience
what I have seen myself.
My journey started in my 
undergraduate degree in marine science.
As part of my PACE program,
I was able to get work experience
at Manly Sea Life Sanctuary,
which really kick started my career
as a marine biologist.
No two days were ever the same.
We got to hand feed animals,
we got to maintain the exhibits,
and I really learned a lot 
about the biology of the animals
and how to apply my knowledge
from university right there
in the work field.
[music]
After I finished my PACE program and 
graduated from Macquarie University,
I heard about the Rolex scholarship, 
which I applied for
and was successful in getting it.
This scholarship is
absolutely amazing.
I've had the best six months
of my life so far,
travelling around the world,
working with amazing people
in their fields, and making 
really good connections.
So far I've been down
to Port Lincoln,
working with great white sharks.
I've also gone to
Papua New Guinea,
working with marine
education programs.
I just got back from Fiji.
In six weeks, I was travelling
around the entire country.
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In Fiji, I got to work with the 
Barefoot Collection and the Manta Trust.
I was photo-identifying
manta rays as they
come to the island to feed
and to mate.
We're trying to understand
how many different mantas
are coming there at
different times of the year.
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Next week, I'm heading
to Solomon Islands,
and I'll be there for
a couple of weeks
before I'm flying to Florida, and 
I'm going to be staying around
the Bahamas for a little bit as well.
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Working at Manly Sea Life Sanctuary
really helped me get this scholarship.
I can't imagine being
where I am today
without having
my experience there.
The PACE program is
really special.
It gives you the chance to work
in a field that you're studying
and apply that knowledge
you've learnt in your degree
and sets you up with the confidence
to pursue a meaningful career.
I'm so happy that I  went 
to Macquarie University.
I can't imagine being here where I am 
without my degree from there.
[music]
