This past semester was one of my best yet, with my fall having been spent in Australia as I studied abroad! I attended the School for International Training (SIT) Reef, Rainforest and Cultural Ecology program based out of Cairns, Australia where I spent hundreds of hours out in the Wet Tropics rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef learning about the immense terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity in and around Australia. The highlight of my time in Australia was certainly the 11 days I stayed at the Lizard Island research station with my classmates where we were able to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef every day, where we saw multiple sharks, thousands of fish, and a huge variety of corals and other sea creatures while learning about coral reef ecology and the human-caused threats towards the immense biodiversity that exists because of them. In addition to the classes I took in and around Cairns, I spent a month in Sydney conducting an independently organized research project at the Sydney Institute of Marine Science with a PhD student from the University of New South Wales. All of the incredible experiences I had over the last four months would never have been possible without the support of MVYouth and I am so incredibly grateful for the continued support I have received during my undergraduate studies. Looking forward, I am excited to spend my Spring semester at Middlebury continuing my academic endeavors in Biology and Environmental Studies while competing on the track team. Although It’s a lot colder and the sun sets a good bit earlier here than it did down under, I found myself excited to return to my home; the Northeast, and to all of my incredible friends and family. Again, I am so grateful for the continued unwavering support MVYouth and Lindsey have given me these past two and a half years!