Chapter 8: Tides Turn

With the scholarship came an invitation to intern at the Smithsonian Marine Research Lab in Washington D.C. for the summer.

Ethan lived on campus, studied microplastics, and worked beside real scientists. He helped publish data in a journal article and was offered early college admission at UC Santa Cruz’s marine program.

He returned to Monterey one weekend to speak at a school assembly. His speech, “Why the Ocean Needs You,” inspired students and earned a standing ovation.

His mother cried. Thomas beamed.

The boy who once played in tide pools was becoming a man of the sea.