• Certificate; Rescue Diver | PADI (September 2025)
• Certificate; Advanced Open Water Diver | PADI (August 2025)
• Certificate; Enriched Air Diver | PADI (July 2025)
• Certificate; Developing Skills for Women Leadership in Climate Action | United Nations (February 2025)
• Certificate; IS-1400: Foundations of Climate Science | FEMA (December 2024)
• Certificate; Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED | American Red Cross (December 2024)
• Certificate; AWARE Coral Reef Conservation Speciality | PADI (December 2023)
• Certificate; Open Water Scuba Diver | PADI (September 2023)
• License; Florida Boating Safety Course | BoatUS Foundation (January 2022)

During the PADI Rescue Diver course, the participants learn to help fellow divers in various distress scenerios, identify and fix minor issues gear issues, as well as gain a lot of confidence in addressing a variety of emergency situations while in the water.

After spending days practicing in the Cornell University pool, my fellow classmates and I, who were enrolleded in the fall 2025 "Rescue Diver" course, traveled from the main campus to nearby Cayuga Lake. Over the course of five hours at the lake, our Scuba instructors had us individually perform numerous dives to demonstrate mastery of the required rescue and safety techniques necessary to earn our PADI Rescue Diver Certification.

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The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course is an expansion on the skills of the Open Water Scuba Diver certification. During two required dives, two disciplines must be mastered - deep diving and underwater navigation - then three additional specialty dives are selected, for a total of five required dives.

During these dives, I had the amazing opportunity to see a variety of marine life, including coral reefs, jellyfish, sea turtles, and a couple of nurse sharks.

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Enriched air nitrox (EANx or nitrox) is a breathing gas used by scuba divers that contains more oxygen and less nitrogen than regular air. This altered gas mixture offers several potential benefits, including extended bottom times, shorter surface intervals, and potentially reduced fatigue. Specialized training and equipment are required due to the increased risk of oxygen toxicity at greater depths.

I completed the required dives to earn this certification on International Women's Dive Day 2025, which was on July 19th, and I was joined by a group of female divers who also celebrated the occasion underwater.

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This course was created to support women and girls in developing their leadership skills in climate action. Participants gain an understanding of key topics related to climate change science:

- Explain what is climate change and define key elements of inclusive climate action.

- Discuss the impact of climate change on women and their role in climate action.

- Identify opportunities and plan effective climate action.

- Discuss approaches for gaining support for your climate actions.

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This FEMA course provides fundamental instruction for participants to achieve a critical understanding of climate change concepts; explain the concept of climate change and its impact on climate variability, explain how climate change impacts natural disasters to increase the risk for vulnerable populations and regions, and identify the current methods used by FEMA and U.S. Department of Homeland Security to monitor and address climate change and emergency management.

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This interactive, hands-on first-aid course is designed to help participants learn proper techniques that allow them to help those in crisis receive critical urgent care until medical professionals arrive.

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PADI (the Professional Association of Diving Instructors) is the most recognized dive training organization worldwide with over 30 million divers and counting.

This course teaches divers to appreciate the complexity of coral reef habitats and provides instruction on how to help conserve these vital systems.

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PADI (the Professional Association of Diving Instructors) is the most recognized dive training organization worldwide with over 30 million divers and counting.

During the course, I learned about scuba diving principles and terminology, then performed basic scuba skills with a highly trained PADI Instructor. After four successful dives in an open water environment, I completed the necessary skills tests to earn my certification.

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The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is an innovative leader promoting safe, clean and responsible boating. The Foundation provides educational outreach directly to boaters and supports partner organizations nationwide.

With millions of boaters on the water, its aim is to reduce accidents and fatalities, increase stewardship of the waterways and keep boating a safe and enjoyable pastime.

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