Marria is pursuing a Master’s degree in Marine Affairs at the University of Washington, while working as a researcher in the Coastal Fisheries Ecology Lab. She serves as Co-Chair for the U.S. Youth Action Committee for the UN Ocean Decade and previously researched coral reef restoration in Bali as a Fulbright fellow. Marria co-founded the Food for Thought Project to address food insecurity during COVID-19. She is focused on the intersection of marine resources and community resilience in a changing climate.
What are five words that describe your PGC experience?
Thought Provoking, Actionable, Reflective, Inspiring, and Educational.
What was the most memorable aspect of PGC 2024 for you?
I felt that the prompts I expected the least from were some of the one’s I felt deeply compelled by. For instance, I was flabbergasted by the difference in my perceived water consumption in a given day versus my actual calculated water usage. That prompt made me fundamentally reconsider my water usage and I am actively working to improve my water conservation in my new home. Similarly, I was not expecting the Wellbeing day to impact me as much as it did. In writing my letter of gratitude to my friend, I became deeply emotional when reflecting on the impact he has had on my life. I feel like I seldom express my gratitude in the written form, so taking the time to verbalize and document our stories, memories, and his impact in my life was both cathartic and stirring. After sending the letter I felt anxious as to what his response would be since it was rather heartfelt and deeply personal, but he was touched by my vulnerability and responded with kind words of his own. Both of these challenge days presented welcome surprises that really stuck with me throughout the project and I’m thankful that I completed those prompts.
