by 
Dear reader,
Admittedly I am a bit late in posting this, I have just been so caught up in the amazing adventure and activities that it managed to slip my mind. However, I wanted to make sure I still did it, so here I am now, a few days later than planned.
Words cannot begin to describe how grateful I am to have been able to go on this voyage. Being out on the open ocean is truly an experience like no other, and it has been amazing to immerse myself in the scientific world and experience things I may never otherwise have as an animation student; such as learning about rocks I otherwise would have likely never given a second thought about and learning to appreciate them, finding trace fossils within those rocks, seeing a glacier for the first time (I teared up), participating in collecting samples via CTD Rosette, participating in a net tow, and getting to view plankton through a microscope. I have learned so much about so many things in such a short amount of time!
I also want to shout out to the STEMSEAS mentors, my fellow students, and the crew of the Sikuliaq for being amazing people and a true joy to be around. I have learned so much from everyone, and I hope to stay in touch with as many people as I can after this.
Admittedly I was a bit nervous about applying to STEMSEAS as a non-STEM student, and was incredibly nervous after being accepted. I wasn’t sure what I would be able to do as an art student here, or if I would not fit in with everyone else. However, everyone has been incredibly kind and wonderful to be around, and I have learned about a wide array of opportunities that exist within STEM for artists. This experience has completely changed my outlook on the future and has opened a whole new world of opportunities for me. I have a new sense of hope for the future where there used to be a chasm of apprehension and fear. It is my hope this will be just the beginning of a long journey in learning how to utilize my skills in the arts in animation to aid the scientific community.
This has truly been a life-changing experience like no other. If you are an undergraduate college student, I highly encourage you to apply to STEMSEAS. It is truly a wonderful experience like no other.
Sincerely,
N/A “Toby” Tobias
