Gloria (Santos, Brazil to Southern California)

Growing up in Santos, my life was all about the ocean. My siblings and I would spend our afternoons on the beach, munching on pão de queijo and brigadeiros. The salt air, the rhythm of the waves–it was perfect. Now, in California for grad school, I miss those flavors and that life. But my love for the ocean hasn’t changed. Studying marine biology feels like my way of staying connected to Santos, to those warm afternoons and the feeling that the ocean holds all the answers.