I am truly flattered and honored to receive the Michael G. Scott Award, but I would have been unable to succeed without the support and encouragement of the fisheries biology faculty, my fellow classmates, and my family. Balancing family duties and academic responsibilities was a difficult undertaking. With my wife’s inspiration, I returned to college as a 36 year-old aquarium nerd/ex-construction worker that had never used PowerPoint or Excel. I only possessed the desire to absorb as much piscine knowledge as humanly possible. Reflecting on my time spent at Cal Poly Humboldt, I realize that the element of the fisheries biology program that I hold in highest regard is the dedication of the department to ensure students’ academic and professional success in the field of fisheries biology.

I was allured to the fisheries biology program at Cal Poly Humboldt because of the amount of fieldwork that aspiring fish biologists are exposed to. In my opinion, the hands-on aspect of the program combined with the classroom curriculum offers a more vocational degree than other biological sciences. The individual disciplinary expertise offered by all professors during their course fieldwork was enlightening and invaluable. The fisheries biology staff and faculty also offered opportunities for undergraduate student success through project opportunities, volunteer hours on and off campus (e.g. at the hatchery, marine lab, and aquaponics facility), job and internship emails, and assisting graduate students with their research. On a more personal note, each professor in the department had been supportive and willing to help in various capacities at different times throughout my college career.

The fisheries biology program at Cal Poly Humboldt delivered beyond my expectations, and my time spent in the department was a rewarding experience. As my education progressed in this diverse, multi-disciplinary field, I began to realize that different fisheries course contents built upon and complimented one another. While I have earned a bachelor’s degree in fisheries biology, I feel as though I have merely scratched the surface. I hope to return to Cal Poly Humboldt in the fall to pursue a master’s degree in fisheries biology, and plan to work as a fisheries biologist focused on restoration of salmonids and their habitat.