I’ve had many useful classes and engaging experiences
throughout my time at Clemson, however none have truly captivated me the way
that my involvement in the Conservation of Marine Resources creative inquiry has.
Between field work in the Florida Keys, creating posters and presenting them at
various conferences, and the friendships I have throughout the year, this one
class has been the highlight of my Clemson experience.
For me the
choice to go to Clemson was an easy one. I grew up loving the school and knew
from the first time I thought about college that I was going to go here.
However, there was one set-back that was hard for me to overlook. I knew that
one day I wanted to work on the ocean, but Clemson did not have a degree in
marine biology, and was also one of the furthest schools in the state of South
Carolina from the coast. My freshman year I often struggled with if I had made
the right decision to make Clemson my home. It was not until I met Kylie and
Dr. Childress that I knew I had. And now through this creative inquiry, I’ve
gotten more hands-on experience than I probably could have anywhere else.
Throughout
this semester we have all been working hard to develop our projects and create posters
that help to explain the work that we do as well as the importance that it
holds. I personally worked with my amazing partner Taylor to better understand
the influence of macroalgae on coral growth. To do this we mainly worked with
two programs: CPCe and Image J. In working with these programs we learned how
to identify different common species seen on the reef, from red rope sponge to
octocorals. When it finally came time to put our data into poster form, we
worked closely with Dr. Childress and Kylie who gave us hands-on statistical
training.
As many who
work in research know, it sometimes gets a bit dull looking at a computer
screen, working on data. But it is completely worth it when you finally put
something together that matters. I felt so proud of everything Taylor and I had
accomplished when I first saw our printed poster. But it was not until we presented
it at CBASS and FOCI that I really understood how important it was. Seeing
everyone who presented at these conferences and how the things that they did
were helping to impact Clemson and society showed me how important our creative
inquiry program is. It was also an incredible experience to put our poster up
at SEEC in Athens where students from Florida State, Auburn and other large
universities were presenting their research. 
While the
conferences and lab work are a large part of what has made my experience in
this lab a once-in-a-lifetime one, there a few others that can not be left out.
One of the absolute best things about working in this creative inquiry is the
field research. Over spring break Kylie, Daniel, Lauren, and I packed up our
things and drove down the Florida Keys for the week. During our time there we
logged over fourteen dives, saw quite a few sharks (my favorite animal),
speared my first lionfish, had the best dive of my life and
made memories that none of us will ever forget. There is truly nothing like
spending the entire day on the reef observing parrotfish and getting to see why
what you are doing is so important.
Coming back home after those trips
to the Keys is always hard, but it gets a lot easier when you walk into lab a
few days later and see some of the best people you’ve ever met laughing and
joking together. That is the last and probably most important reason why I love
this creative inquiry the way that I do. The friendships and bonds that we have
all made in our lab extend to our personal lives as well. Its because of this
one class that I have been able to understand what the Clemson family is truly
about.
Looking
back now, I would never take back my decision to enroll here at Clemson. I am
so thankful for this program as well as Dr. Childress, Kylie, and my friends in
the lab. This was the best decision I have ever made and I would not change it
for the world!
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