Customize Your Experience with Samantha

Transcript

Our next student has really embraced that. Sam is a junior marine science major with a minor in chemistry. With over a hundred majors and minors, study abroad, and a wide range of student clubs and organizations at JU, there are endless opportunities to customize your experience. Sam, we can’t wait to hear your story. You are on.

– Thank you, Alex. Hello, everyone. Ever since I was in kindergarten, I have loved everything about the ocean and conservation in the environment, so no surprise, the Marine Science program at Jacksonville University was the perfect fit for me. My interests are very diverse and JU allows me to customize and explore my academic experience to fit my passions. At JU, I’m extremely involved in all things related to my major, including a recent study abroad experience in Belize. This three-week long trip was filled with snorkeling, tropical species identification, research, and the Coconut Olympics on a four-acre island. While I was there, I conducted research on octocoral distribution, or the placement of sea fans and sea rods along the reef off of the island. My classmates and I are excited to be presenting this research at the National Conference of Undergraduate Research. At JU, you can be strategic about customizing your undergraduate experience. The university created an app called Pathways of Distinction, or PODs, that allows you to explore all the different combinations of majors and minors, and connect them to the career that you want. I know I wanna pursue a research-based career as a marine ecologist, so I added a chemistry minor to learn more about it. One of my friends wants to photograph deep sea organisms, so she added a photography minor. Whatever your interests or dreams, Jacksonville University allows you to explore the possibilities and create a path that is as unique as you are. After graduation, I am hoping to attend graduate school, to become a marine ecologist or have a career in conservation. After being involved in over five different research projects at JU, I feel extremely prepared and excited for my future. Back to you, Alex.

– Way to go, Sam, I can see you’re gonna make a big impact on the world. Keep up the amazing work. The Dolphin family is certainly cheering you on. Jacksonville University has some hard to find programs that attract students from all over the world, like it’s aviation program.