FIELD JOURNAL FIELD JOURNAL FIELD JOURNAL FIELD JOURNAL
Now I know what career I want
by Austin Bartoszek
October 7, l998
Diving on NASA's Scott Carpenter Space Analog Station was an experience
I'll never forget. Although I am only 13 years old, I've been diving with
tanks since I was nearly four years old. My dad, Joe Bartoszek is a NASE
SCUBA instructor. He taught me and my brother, who is now 15, to dive
in a five-foot deep swimming pool.
I've done a lot of reef diving in the Florida Keys and ocean and river
dives near my home in Cocoa Beach.
But I really thought about a lot when I was given the opportunity to dive
in Key Largo. My father and I used surface-supplied air to get to the
submerged habitat and that was a great feeling of freedom, unencumbered
with no tanks or a BC on my body.
When I dove to the habitat, it was a week after Hurricane Georges blew
through the Keys, and the lagoon still was green and a little murky. But
the habitat was in great shape.
Diving there helped me make up my mind that I want a career in the field
of marine biology. I may pursue a degree in law so I can help preserve
natural underwater environments, reefs, fishes and the whole aquatic world.
And I'd like to make sure scientists have the funding to continue their
quest to explore inner space.
|
