Melody UR: Current Environmental Enthusiast, Future Environmental Scientist

Sunset chasing has become a constant in my life.

Taken from the peak of the Dunlawton Bridge on a recent Sunday bike ride.

Greetings! I'm Melody. I am a free spirited 23 year old from Daytona Beach. It has taken me a handful of years to discover my passion, but I believe I have finally found it--Mother Nature. On my days off I can usually be found kayaking a local creek or biking to our beautiful Ponce Inlet. While I would consider myself an outdoor enthusiast, I won't sugar coat things: I'm relatively lost on what I want to be when I grow up. I'm hoping to find the perfect niche for me while studying here at Daytona State College. I find myself on campus today after realizing I had been working in a position that brought me no personal fulfillment or satisfaction. I felt hopelessly trapped performing mundane tasks for a local insurance provider. I was compensated with exceptional pay and benefits but I was absolutely miserable. Every day spent in my dreary office I imagined working outdoors. I watched countless documentaries of environmental scientists performing experiments or observing the land. One in particular struck my fancy. The researchers of this documentary traveled to a foreign country where they were taking field samples in treacherous conditions during and after mudslides. By performing these studies they were able to conclude what environmental impacts were of natural origin and what were human disturbances. I thought how cool is this? I want to assist in stopping the human disturbances. I want this to be my life! After some deep consideration and quite a few sacrifices, I am now a full time student at Daytona State College working towards my AS in Environmental Science Technology. I'm thrilled to be enrolled in courses like our Oceanography lab that dive into the mysteries of the environment around us and it brings me only the purest joy to be working among peers with common goals and interests. I look forward to getting to know the class and working alongside all of you!