I would like to say that I am truly honored to be a recipient of the Michael G. Scott award. It was a complete surprise to be given the award upon graduating (May 2011). After completing my fisheries biology degree at Cal Poly Humboldt, I headed north to the Alaskan peninsula where I worked as a sport fishing guide. When the season ended in Alaska I moved to Seattle where I am now currently looking to further my studies and experiences in fisheries.

As for now one of my first fisheries opportunities has come from an artist (Zack Babat); he has asked me to write a creative/scientific description for his fish paintings. These short descriptions will include the common and scientific names, native range(s), and other interesting life history facts. I am looking forward to this work, as it should be a fun and exciting way to use my knowledge of fishes.