My name is Ella Salinski and I am a sophomore studying Marine Biology with a minor in Environmental Sustainability. I am attending the Panama Maymester to study General Ecology. I chose this program because I wanted an opportunity to be immersed in what I was learning about. I’m looking forward to seeing and experiencing what I hear about in the classroom in person. Through my research of Panama, I learned that there are both dense rainforests and coral reefs, making Panama a great and biodiverse location to study ecology. My goals for this trip are to be as present as possible to soak up all there is to see in Panama as well as become familiar with the species specific to the country.