MACARENA Trip's Conclusion

Hello again from Riza! Just wanted to say that we are back safe and sound in Mother Bancroft. Doing research in North Slope Borough, Alaska was the greatest learning experience I have had so far as a midshipman. I really am thankful for this wonderful opportunity the Oceanography Department of the Naval Academy has provided me. The trip was what I expected in many ways, but it also presented a nice few surprises.

Arriving to Deadhorse, I was very curious to see how this whole research was organized in terms of who was involved and what we were actually studying. I was very excited to learn that I was going to have the privilege of working with scientists from the Naval Research Labaratory (NRL), Harvard Graduate School, and the U.S. Army's Cold Regions Research and Engineering Labaratory (CRREL). This was an experience I had always dreamed of. I made sure that I asked as many questions as I could to understand the science we were doing as best I could; these people had so much insight and expertise!

The trip definitely opened my eyes to a much better idea of what I possibly want to do in the future career-wise. Now, more than ever, I am excited to expand my knowledge and experience in the topics of global warming, geochemistry, and the arctic regions. A huge thanks to LCDR Woods for teaching me and Erik a whole lot throughout the trip and Dr. Smith for providing me with this opportunity!