![Scripps graduate student Daria Sheik. Scripps graduate student Daria Sheik.](https://scripps.ucsd.edu/sites/scripps.ucsd.edu/files/basic-page/field-collections/field-body-images-and-text/2019/sheikintext_0.jpeg)
en: What’s life like as a Scripps student?
DS: Usually I will wake up pretty early in the morning and go for a surf. We have a surf shack right in front of the pier so that makes it easy for me. This time of year is the best because the humpbacks are migrating and sometimes you will see one breach while you’re in the water. Then I will spend some time answering emails and trying to talk myself out of eating two burritos for breakfast. Usually I will have a meeting with a lab or scientist to tell them about the Key Conservation app. Any free time I have is spent looking for potential grants or thinking of what features I want to include in the app. I never thought of myself as a business or tech person but learning how to navigate both of these worlds has been really interesting! If I have the time I will try to go back in the water around sunset or I’ll go home and take my housemate’s Great Dane to the beach. I love to cook, so dinner is always my favorite and if I have the time and energy I will make something like homemade pizza or Persian food. Then I finish off the night writing more emails and planning my next day.
en: What’s the most exciting thing about your work?
DS: The most exciting part about my work is the potential global impact that the Key Conservation app will have. It has the ability to create connections and empower actions from people around the world that will greatly benefit conservation. There are so many people around the world working hard to protect biodiversity in their communities;the fact that this app could make it easier for them to connect with others and share what they are doing is so cool to me. I am grateful that I get to help make this happen.
en: Are there any role models or mentors who have helped you along the way?
DS: I have had a lot of people inspire me along the way. Joan Embery is a huge mentor for me, I started working for her in high school. She was one of the first people to really communicate wildlife conservation to the public before it became more mainstream; she went on shows like Johnny Carson as a very young woman in a male-dominated field. She really fostered my love of animals and taught me so much about being an effective speaker. Everyone I worked with at the Pinniped Lab has also been instrumental in my growth as a scientist, they are like my second family and remind me daily that science is the coolest. My best friend’s mom, Joanne Chory, is another strong female scientist that I have looked up to most of my life. She is so accessible and willing to talk to anyone about what it is she is studying, which I think is key to good science. My own mom has also been a role model because she is confident and capable which has been crucial to my growth as a person. Overall I am very fortunate to have been surrounded by some awesome people, especially women, that have lifted me up and helped me get to where I am today.
en: What are some of the challenges you face as a student?
DS: I really love being a student, especially compared to working a 9-5 job where I wouldn’t necessarily have time for my hobbies. Sometimes I wish I had more time to see my family or go on more camping trips but if I allot my time correctly (which is a challenge in itself) then I can still do those things. I think there is a lot of liberty in being an MAS student at Scripps and you are in such an amazing location that it is hard to see the downsides.
en: What are your plans?
DS: I will continue to work with Key Conservation on our mobile app. We are hoping for it to be finished and go public in the coming months. It is a San Diego-based company so I don’t have to move, which is nice. I am really looking forward to seeing where our app will take us and who it will help!
You can find Daria Sheik on Instagram @dariasheik.
- Shawndiz Hazegh
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