As a 5-year-old, I dreamed of becoming a whale researcher. I couldn't imagine anything better than swimming with orcas and humpback whales. 

I thought this childhood dream had faded. Until I applied to WI. Suddenly it was back: that childish, naive, a little romantic, excited, and wild heartbeat. 

And I quickly realized that it is this heartbeat that unites the most diverse people here for a cause. The 5-year-old in me is dancing for joy that I can be a part of this and, through a few corners, make a small contribution to the protection of orcas, humpback whales and every other living creature on this planet.

I am firmly convinced that the preservation of our world lies in the wilderness and that each of us carries this wilderness within us and it beats like the heart of a child.