Twenty-one students in grades 7-12 at LeFlore County High School in Mississippi transformed their school gym into a science-fair style gallery for a Blue Economy Career Showcase in November. The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Lab’s Marine Education Center’s Ellie Walker and Lacy Lindsey traveled to the school in Itta Bena, Mississippi, in September to discuss ocean science careers.
The students selected a dream career in the blue economy and built a poster outlining what that job entails, the training required, where they could imagine themselves working and a real-life professional who holds their dream role today.
The event was made possible by a National Science Foundation grant to Dr. Davide Oppo of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, for which the MEC designed an outreach program to share the research with an audience of non-scientists. We were happy to receive support also from the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium (MASGC) to strengthen the experience for students and teachers.
The range of careers students explored was broad: deep-sea biologists, underwater welders, marine geologists, ocean educators and more. The posters were eye-catching, the details were thoughtful and the conversations were some of the best parts of the day. In just one week, these students pulled together professional-quality presentations and spoke with confidence about pathways they hadn’t known existed before this project.
Spotlight on the winners
Each of the top presenters brought passion, creativity and insight into the career they chose. Sophomore Marshae Daniels, the first-place winner, dreams of becoming an ocean educator (we could not be more proud to welcome her to the profession). Sophomore Laniya Dunlap, who took second place, envisions herself as a deep-sea biologist (I can’t wait to introduce her to others in that field). And, Tyshawn Smith, a seventh grader who won third place, hopes to use photography to inspire ocean conservation.
From posters to the field: What’s next
Every student who elected to participate in the showcase was invited to join an experiential field excursion taking place this week at the Marine Education Center. The visit is moving their ideas from posters to hands-on exploration.
During the excursion, students are conducting shark dissections, building and testing remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), participating in field sampling on the beach and learning about oceanography and seafloor mapping.
They also are meeting and talking virtually with Dr. Oppo and several of his colleagues, whose work inspired this project, including Adam Skarke (Mississippi State University), Sunita Shah Walter (University of Delaware), Mandy Joye (University of Georgia) and David Walter, a former Jason/Alvin pilot (University of Delaware).
Dreams have a place in the ocean
Throughout the career showcase event, a common theme emerged: students were genuinely surprised to learn how many ocean science careers combined with their existing interests. They’d tell us, “I’ve always loved the water, but I thought I’d have to give up being an artist/teacher/builder.” Finding out there were careers at the intersection of those passions lit something up in them.
What made the day truly unforgettable was what happened at the end of each presentation. After sharing their research, their role models and the path ahead, we asked each student, “Now that you know more, does this still feel like your dream job?”
Every student answered with a resounding yes. That affirmation was the heart of the entire showcase. These students didn’t just complete a class assignment; they claimed a vision for their futures in the blue economy. We look forward to working with them at the MEC in December to learn more about their ocean dreams.
Meet the author
Jessie Kastler, Ph.D.
Director, Marine Education Center
Jessie Kastler leverages Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant funds and grants from other agencies to produce and implement education programs at The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research... Read more
Phone: 228-818-8090
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