Elisa Maldonado, UC San Diego

After completing my B.S. in marine biology at UCLA, I decided to stay in the University of California system for graduate school. I made this decision based on the academic and research support I received at UCLA through programs unique to the UC system. Through programs such as CARE and UC LEADS, I became involved in research as an undergraduate. These research experiences strongly influenced my decision to pursue graduate school in marine biology. I chose to attend Scripps Institution of Oceanography because of its excellence and diversity of research in the ocean sciences. But I also chose SIO because of its connection to UCSD, through which I have received excellent academic and research support through AGEP/MASEM and OGSR. The community and support at UCSD exemplify the best of the UC system.