Hello readers! My name is Daniel Silguero, and this is my introduction. I am not quite a writer and never have been, so bear with me. I am currently a student at California Polytechnic University, Pomona, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Collecting the coherent thoughts to write this post is not an easy task. My mind is flooded with anxious excitement because later today I will board the RV Atlantis, setting sail on an adventure I have dreamed about since I was a little kid. Every academic goal and achievement I have accomplished have been small and deliberate stepping stones toward this moment!

For as long as I can remember, I have had a fascination with the aquatic world and a passion for engineering. I would spend much of my free time building, breaking, soldering, and sealing small underwater robots attempting to see what’s deeper than I can swim. Now, its finally time to step onboard and play my role in real-world deep sea ocean research, working alongside some of the most brilliant technicians in the industry.

Over the next 5 weeks, I will be part of the Alvin submersible team, sailing along the Aleutian islands of Alaska. I will be learning the intricacies of maintaining and operating a state of the art manned submersible system while finally experiencing what my younger self could only dream of.

I don’t think its possible to effectively describe the way I feel. The emotions of knowing how hard I have worked to be here are immense and I just know this is where I belong!

Over the next few weeks, I look forward to posting updates of my journey, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store!