About Me: Cartography

Hello all!

My name is Dixie Lauderdale I am a part-time graduate student, full-time diver, and dog mom. I work mostly to support my unhealthy addiction to books and provide a good life for my dachshund. Otherwise, you'd find me lying on a beach with a book in my hand or underwater exploring. I have yet to figure out how to bring novels underwater, but once I do, I'll probably find a nice underwater cave somewhere. 

Which leads me to my academic career. I have a bachelor of science in Marine Biology and a bachelor of arts in Maritime Studies. I wanted to combine my passion for science and history while being able to explore some of the most fascinating and undiscovered areas of our planet, this track has allowed me those opportunities. I am currently finishing my Master's in Biology (graduating this semester) as well as a Geographic Information Systems certificate in order to be able to continue pursuing this field in the government sector after graduation. 

I also have a passion for teaching, and while I've had several opportunities to explore that path in educational centers, my favorite is definitely teaching SCUBA diving! Seeing the joy on someone's face after they take their first breath underwater is a feeling like no other and knowing that you helped them get there to see another world inside our planet is an even better feeling. I am so lucky that my current full-time job allows me to continue teaching.

I look forward to working and learning with you all throughout the rest of the semester.

Story Map:  https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/2e6da38ef8d241b488e9c000392c810a