The OCEAN CORE academy was simultaneously everything I expected going in and nothing I expected going in, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

My name is Finn Raker, and I have just finished my time at the Gulf Coast Repository in College Station Texas. A little about me, I am a student at Western Washington University (Go Viking’s!) studying marine sciences with a focus on geology and ecological processes, I heard about the OCEAN CORE Academy from a classmate at WWU and was intrigued at the opportunity to explore real geologic research that was happening. As a born and bred Washingtonian, I am not well suited for heat and humidity, I’m used to chilly mornings and dry heat. However, I would never refuse an opportunity like this.

I won’t lie that I went into the program blind, I had very little clue as to what I was signing up for. When I initially told my folks about the experience they were reasonably confused, but supportive.

The first half of the program followed a very long day of travel, the flight from Seattle to Houston is an almost five-hour journey full of stunning views and stiff legs. The next day, I awoke to a barrage of new faces and names. I learned that we were from all over, from California to New York to Pennsylvania and Illinois. Each face had a story, and I spent much of my free time trying to learn everyone’s story. I believe that I made lifelong friends this week, we all got along swimmingly and really clicked with each other. Every night there was a new game or activity where we all got to socialize with our peers.

Stepping into the Gulf Coast Repository is like stepping into a maze of offices, lab space, and fridges. It was immense and I was nearly blown away by the scale of it all, it was excellent to get to tour the facility and explore the types of science we can do. We were able to use the equipment to see how they all worked, and it was so cool to see all the moving parts and the professions that all interact to further science. Seeing all the work they do at the repository and hearing the stories of the JOIDES Resolution and her many travels were eye-opening to me; it really helped cement my desires to partake in science.

The later half of the week was crunch time! We did all our research in a day, and the next day we threw some truly stellar posters together to present on Friday! They were great posters, and everyone was having a great time presenting them. I unfortunately was staring Patrick the Penguin in the eye the whole time, and he didn’t even ask a question.

The whole experience was a phenomenal one, and I have met some wonderful people I hope to keep in contact with from here on. All in all, this was a wonderful week, and I am so grateful for the opportunity.

Thank You OCEAN CORE Academy!