Q: Firstly, congratulations on receiving the inaugural Trent Williams Memorial Sea Shepherd Access Scholarship! 

A: Thank you! I am so grateful to have received the Trent William Scholarship, particularly given the legacy of Trent William and the association with Sea Shepherd. I have always had so much respect for Sea Shepherd as an organisation, so it really does feel like an honour to be the recipient this year! 

Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself and why you are pursuing this degree? 

A: I have chosen to pursue a career in marine science for a number of reasons. I am super passionate about conserving our environment, and our responsibility to act as custodians for our beautiful planet. I also love the ocean, and particularly the incredible temperate reefs around our beautiful island home. A marine science degree offers the opportunity to make a career out of those two passions, as well as my love for science and learning. There is still so much we don't know about anthropogenic impacts on marine systems and I think that the development of this knowledge will become increasingly important. I really want to contribute to this understanding and problem solving into the future, and can't wait to be equipped with the toolset to do so having completed a marine science degree with UTas! 

Q: What does receiving this scholarship mean to you?  

A: To have received the Trent William Memorial Sea Shepherd Scholarship is certainly such a privilege. Financially, it means that I have the capacity to be independent from my parents as I complete my degree. As they are small business owners and continue to support my two younger sisters through their education, this means a lot for both me and my family. It also means that I will have more time to contribute to the community through volunteer work while at uni, and I am so keen to get involved with Sea Shepherd and other organisations like GRANT now that I will be in Hobart! 

Q: What are you hoping to do when you graduate? 

A: Once I graduate with a degree in marine science, I would really like to work in the area of policy making and social justice surrounding marine based issues. I strongly believe that our management of the marine environment is going to become more and more important as the population grows and the climate changes. I also think that the impacts of these changes will disproportionately impact society, with greater effects being felt by developing nations and lower socio-economic communities. My dream is to take a background in marine science, and use it to help manage these issues. Climate change is as much a social justice issue as it is an environmental one, and we need scientists informing policy that will make positive change for both our marine environments, and the people who rely on them for their livelihoods.