{"id":12638,"date":"2020-06-25T13:48:55","date_gmt":"2020-06-25T17:48:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/currents\/?p=12638"},"modified":"2024-05-02T15:17:00","modified_gmt":"2024-05-02T19:17:00","slug":"you-cant-plan-for-a-change-of-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/currents\/2020\/06\/you-cant-plan-for-a-change-of-plans\/","title":{"rendered":"You Can\u2019t Plan for a Change of Plans"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Cheyenne

Cheyenne Stienbarger is one of four 2020 Knauss fellows from North Carolina. Left to right: Margaret Chory, Gabrielle Corradino, Cheyenne Stienbarger, and Jessamin Straub.<\/p><\/div>\n

BY CHEYENNE STIENBARGER<\/strong>
\n2020 Knauss Fellow,\u00a0Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing Program<\/strong><\/p>\n

The\u00a0Knauss Fellowship<\/a>\u00a0is a year-long program for graduate students who are interested in national policy issues affecting ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources. Successful applicants are matched with host offices within the executive and legislative branches of the federal government.<\/em><\/p>\n

Before we begin, there is something you must know about me. I like organization and need <\/strong>to have a plan, whether it\u2019s a plan for the trip to the grocery store, for the year, or for the next five years. I live to plan.<\/p>\n

Spoiler alert: you just can\u2019t plan for some things.<\/p>\n

I would be lying if I said I didn\u2019t somewhat stumble upon the Knauss Fellowship on the North Carolina Sea Grant<\/a> website two weeks prior to the opening of the application period. I discovered the program at a critical point in my graduate career where I was uncertain as to what my next steps would be. My decision to pursue the fellowship was not a frivolous one, but it also wasn\u2019t part of my original plan.<\/p>\n

Like I said, I\u2019m a planner. Let me explain why the plan changed to a new plan and then again to a new one.<\/p>\n

\"Cheyenne<\/a>

Cheyenne Steinbarger, snorkeling in the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary in the Florida Keys<\/p><\/div>\n

As an undergraduate student pursuing a dual degree in Biology and Environmental Science from Evangel University<\/a> in Missouri, my original plan was to graduate, obtain an M.S. and Ph.D., conduct some really important research and (eventually) teach at a university. I knew from a young age that I wanted to study science and my reasoning was simple: I felt a deep connection to nature and animals, and I wanted to be able to make a positive impact on the planet.<\/p>\n

After a two-week marine biology field course in the Florida Keys, offered through my undergraduate university, I found a field that really <\/strong>spoke to me. During those four years of undergraduate school, I sought out every single opportunity that I thought would bring me closer to achieving a career in marine biology, despite living in the landlocked Midwest. These pursuits included:<\/p>\n