Michelle is a graduate of the University of Washington with a degree in biomedical engineering. She grew up on the beaches of Washington, gaining a love for the ocean from an early age. Since getting her open-water certification in Seattle, she’s become an AAUS scientific diver, spent 5 years volunteering for Kelp Reef Check completing scientific surveys along the west coast of the United States, and started a sustainability focused company, Silt Skincare. She is passionate about kelp forest conservation and plans to use this grant to obtain her Divemaster certification, allowing her to pursue greater involvement in scientific diving expeditions.

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