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[ MUSIC ]

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>> I KNOW YOU HAVEN'T BEEN

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ABLE TO TELL MANY PEOPLE YET,

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BUT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE WILL BE

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SURPRISED THAT YOU ARE

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REALIZING THIS DREAM?

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>> I-- I THINK EVERYONE'S

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GOING TO BE REALLY EXCITED.

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I DON'T THINK ANYONE WILL BE

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QUITE AS SURPRISED AS I AM.

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IT'S JUST--

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IT'S ABSOLUTELY UNREAL.

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[ MUSIC ]

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I GREW UP IN WILLIAMSBURG,

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VIRGINIA, AND RIGHT NOW I LIVE

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IN STATE COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA,

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BY WAY OF CHAPEL HILL,

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NORTH CAROLINA.

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I'M CURRENTLY

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A GRADUATE STUDENT.

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I'M WORKING ON MY PhD

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IN THE GEOSCIENCES DEPARTMENT.

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[ MUSIC ]

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I THINK I STARTED SAYING

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I WANTED TO BE AN ASTRONAUT

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SOMETIME LATE IN HIGH SCHOOL,

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BUT I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE

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A CONCRETE REASON WHY OR HOW

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I WAS GOING TO DO THAT.

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IT JUST APPEALED TO ME IN

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SOME KIND OF FUNDAMENTAL WAY.

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BUT THEN AS I WENT THROUGH

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COLLEGE AND I STARTED

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FOLLOWING PEOPLE WHO

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INSPIRED ME JUST BY,

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YOU KNOW, DOING COOL THINGS,

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TRAVELING TO AMAZING PLACES,

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AND I WANTED TO FOLLOW

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THAT PATH, ALL WITH

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AN INTEREST OF MICROBIOLOGY

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AND EXTREME AND

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UNUSUAL ENVIRONMENTS.

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AND SO THAT TOOK ME TO

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PLACES LIKE THE ARCTIC

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AND ANTARCTICA, AND

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EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN.

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I WORKED A LOT ON SMALL

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RESEARCH VESSELS AND

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ITS ANALOG WORK WITH NASA.

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AND ALONG THE WAY,

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I REALIZED THAT I HAD ACQUIRED

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A SET OF SKILLS THAT

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MIGHT ACTUALLY BE APPLICABLE

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TO THE ASTRONAUT PROGRAM.

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AND SO WHEN I FINALLY

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QUALIFIED FOR THE FIRST TIME

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THIS LAST SELECTION ROUND,

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I COULDN'T HELP BUT APPLY.

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[ MUSIC ]

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SO IT MAY BE A LITTLE CLICHE,

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BUT I WAS ACTUALLY WATCHING

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"APOLLO 13."

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I HAD A FEW FRIENDS OVER

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IN THE MORNING, AND THEY COOKED

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BREAKFAST TACOS WITH ME.

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AND WE WERE JUST HANGING OUT

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IN THE LIVING ROOM.

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I HAD A BUNCH OF PEOPLE

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TO KEEP ME OCCUPIED.

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THEY WERE BASICALLY

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BABYSITTING ME AND

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KEEPING ME COMPANY.

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IT WAS JUST AWESOME

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TO HAVE THEM THERE.

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[ MUSIC ]

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EVERY STEM OPPORTUNITY THAT

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I'VE EVER GONE DOWN IS

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BECAUSE OF SOME MENTOR

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WHO INSPIRED ME OR SOME STUDENT

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WHO WAS AHEAD OF ME IN SCHOOL

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WHO INSPIRED ME.

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SO EARLY ON, IN HIGH SCHOOL

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ACTUALLY, I HAD A REALLY

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EXCELLENT HIGH SCHOOL

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BIOLOGY TEACHER.

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AND THAT SENT ME ON THE PATH

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OF BIOLOGY WHEN I WENT

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TO COLLEGE.

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I KNEW RIGHT AWAY, FIRST DAY

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OF FRESHMAN YEAR, THAT

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I WANTED TO BE A BIOLOGIST.

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AND THEN GOING THROUGH

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THE BIOLOGY PROGRAM,

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THERE WERE STUDENTS AHEAD OF ME

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WHO HAD DONE RESEARCH

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IN THE MARINE SCIENCES

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DEPARTMENT WHO HAD ACTUALLY

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GONE TO ANTARCTICA

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AS UNDERGRADUATES, AND

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I JUST THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE

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SUCH A COOL OPPORTUNITY.

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AND SO I STARTED TO CHASE

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THAT AND TO KIND OF PATTERN

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MY LIFE OFF OF PEOPLE

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WHO INSPIRED ME.

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[ MUSIC ]

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MY FAVORITE VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY

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OF LATE IS TALKING IN LOCAL

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SCHOOLS, WHICH ACTUALLY REALLY

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EXCITES ME ABOUT

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THE ASTRONAUT JOB, THAT

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THAT'S PART OF THE GIG, IS,

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YOU KNOW, GOING OUT

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AND TALKING TO STUDENTS.

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THEY'RE JUST-- IT'S AWESOME

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TO TALK TO KIDS WHO ARE

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REALLY EXCITED ABOUT

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SCIENCE, AND THAT MAKES ME

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EXCITED ABOUT SCIENCE.

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[ MUSIC ]