May is the biggest month for graduating Seahawks. It is the month of college graduation and the month when students transition into alumni. Everything they have come to know over their academic school years comes to a halt as they prepare for life in the adult world.

For some students, this time is agonizing. The uncertainty of the future becomes real as students apply for jobs, worry about repaying student loans, decide whether or not to apply for graduate school and wonder what they will do with the rest of their lives.

Fortunately for some, these worries are at bay. Some have it all figured out. Alison Monroe happens to be one of those lucky seniors. After successfully applying for involvement at a coral reef ecology lab, Monroe plans to travel to Saudi Arabia to study ecology at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, also known as KAUST.

The Red Sea, located off the coast of Saudi Arabia, is home to one of the world’s most interesting coral reefs, and that is the main reason Monroe wants to study overseas.

“I have always loved dolphins and whales growing up, but I didn’t really know that’s what I wanted to study until I took zoology in high school,” Monroe said. “We dissected fish, sharks and some aquatic invertebrates, and I was hooked. It wasn’t until I went to Australia that I realized I wanted to study coral.”

While studying the ecosystem, Monroe hopes to focus on the majority of the marine life surrounding the coral reef including larval dispersal in the Red Sea. Her adventures and studies may include many experiences from tagging whale sharks to monitoring the Red Sea fisheries.

Though traveling to Saudi Arabia will be a lifetime experience, Monroe is nervous about some of the differences between the two countries.

“I am a little nervous just because the culture is so different than what I’m used to, but I am also really excited to experience it,” Monroe said. “I think the biggest struggle will be acclimating to the new culture.  It’s just so drastically different from America.  Also the heat—it gets upwards of 110 degrees in the summer.” 

However, despite whatever concerns Monroe may have, she looks forward to the opportunity to study in the foreign country, and she hopes to learn as much as she can while there.

“I’m hoping to broaden my understanding of the coral reef ecosystems,” Monroe said.  “Also, it’s an international campus, so I am hoping to meet a lot of people from around the world and hopefully learn about some new cultures and, of course, hopefully traveling to some countries I have never been to before while I’m on that side of the world.”

Monroe will travel to Saudi Arabia and start her program in August. It will last 18 months, ending in December 2015.

Monroe will be able to rest assured, knowing she can spend the next 18 months of her future studying the coral reefs in Saudi Arabia, and, unlike some students, she can confidently say what she will be doing after graduation.