I flew to Las Vegas to attend DEMA 2024, a global diving and travel show. This was my first time attending an event like this, and it was really interesting to see an inside perspective of the diving industry! I had a lot of fun catching up with OWUSS family, meeting lots of new people, and presenting my mid-year video. 

I had a great time catching up with my coordinator, Anya Hanson and OWUSS VP Robin Parish. We hit the show floor together and I was so excited to meet some of the gear sponsors who support OWUSS scholars, including Aqualung, Suunto, DUI, Fourth Element, and Nauticam. It was so nice to talk to the people who have been supporting my scholarship experience, many of whom I had only emailed with and was meeting for the first time! 

I also got to attend the NOGIs, an awards ceremony recognizing the accomplishments of divers in science, arts, sports/education, environment, and distinguished service (basically the Oscars of diving!). During this event, I had the opportunity to meet and chat with many incredible people, including Jill Heinerth, Jennifer Hayes, and David Doubilet. It was truly surreal to be in the same room with such legendary underwater explorers, photographers, scientists, and artists. 

Another exciting event during the show was becoming a Women Divers Hall of Fame (WDHOF) Associate! I got to attend the WDHOF annual meeting and learn more about the organization, and I am excited to join an incredible community of women divers!

DEMA marks the halfway point of the scholarship year, and each year the scholars present a mid-year video at a breakfast. I had been working on putting together my video for a few months beforehand, and was so excited to share it. I had hardly any prior editing experience, so this project came with a huge learning curve, but I am really happy with the way it turned out! You can see my video below, and can watch Sam Thompsen (European Scholar) here, and Pablo Fuenzalida (Australasian Scholar) here. It was so cool to see what my fellow 2024 scholars have accomplished!

This year, there was also a special screening of a short film produced by Rose Dalrymple (2023 OWUSS Paul L. Schutt Underwater Photography Intern) in partnership with the National Park Service. The film, Valor and Brine, follows the story of an all-women dive team who are a part of the Wounded Veterans In Parks Marine Debris Cleanup at Biscayne National Park. 

During the breakfast, I got to see many people who had supported me during the first part of my scholarship year. From long-standing scholarship hosts to new connections, it was fun to catch up and share what I’d been up to. I left DEMA feeling excited for the next half of my scholarship year, and for the connections I’d made- both new and old! 

Thank you to the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society and our sponsor Rolex for making this scholarship experience possible. I would also like to thank Reef Photo and Video, Nauticam and Light and Motion for my underwater camera setup as well as Aqualung, Fourth Element,  Suunto, Halcyon, and DUI for my diving equipment.