Tanya is currently 15 and a high school sophomore at Phillips Exeter Academy. When she was a freshman, she learned to dive in the cold, murky waters of Dutch Springs in Pennsylvania. Having snorkeled in many parts of the world, including Hawaii and U.S. Virgin Islands, Tanya was keen to learn scuba diving so she could dive to observe marine life. Tanya is also interested in robotics, especially underwater robotics, and has led her team to place first in international underwater robotic championships. Enthralled by the potential of such technology, Tanya researched the uses of ROVs. She realized that many preventable issues face our oceans, and the most widespread are marine debris and microplastics. Although she’s grown up in the coastal state of New Jersey, there was no awareness of these oceanic issues taught in schools. This led Tanya to publish a children’s book on citizen science and conservation, organize classroom assemblies to raise awareness of single-use plastics, hold coastal clean-ups, and stay involved in ocean protection programs both in school and outside of school. Tanya hopes that getting certified to dive will help her advance her goal of becoming a marine biologist and get more children involved in helping and exploring our oceans.