Making a Splash
“My love had always been the ocean,” recalls Bryson. “I didn’t know how I could mix ocean organisms with a career. When I heard the job title ‘marine biologist,’ I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do.”
During her collegiate search, Bryson discovered the College was one of a few schools in South Carolina with a major in marine biology. It didn’t hurt that one of her idols, Jasmin Graham ’17, had also studied at CofC (see story).
And thanks to financial aid, starting with the Herb Kirsh Scholarship from her high school, Bryson had a full ride. A member of the Honors College, Bryson graduated with a 3.81 GPA and impressive internship experiences. She hopes to make an impact in ocean conservation.
“It helped me gain a better understanding of why it’s so important to set regulations on certain fishing quotas in order to maintain a healthier ecosystem,” she says. “It showed how important it is for environmental conservation to take into account what weʼre taking out of the [water] and what we’re putting back into the it.”
Another impactful experience was a class trip over spring break to the Florida Keys with biology professor Chris Freeman and 10 other students. For their research project, Bryson and her partner dissected sponges they collected from the water to study the organisms that live inside them. They learned that the porosity of a sponge influences what organisms live inside of it (see story).
Bryson was actively involved in several campus organizations, too, such as TriBeta, the biological honor society, and the Biology Club. She also was a member of the Sustainable Ocean Alliance, where she and her peers discussed current events impacting oceans and organized initiatives like beach cleanups. She also volunteered with the Honors College’s Green Heart Project, teaching local students about urban gardening and healthy eating, and was a peer mentor through Mentoring Matters and SPECTRA (Speedy Consolidation and Transition), which provided guidance and support to first-generation students headed to college.
“I just love volunteering and helping people,” she says. “It’s just something I’ve always enjoyed doing and will probably continue doing.”
After taking a gap year to work as a nature tour guide for a boat company in Charleston, Bryson plans to earn a master’s degree in fisheries and aquatic sciences at the University of Florida.
“I’m looking forward to helping our oceans be cleaner and used more wisely,” she says. “My goal is to make people aware of issues surrounding our oceans and ocean conservation.”