“I Totally Forgot that I Wanted to be a Scientist” with Alan Valera

Alan grew up in The Cornhusker State, which must’ve been quite a cultural shift for his parents who immigrated from Mexico.  Like most people who pack up and leave their home country, Alan’s parents wanted a better life for their family.  They worked hard on a hog farm while their kids enjoyed the calm of living in wide open spaces and possibilites in Nebraska.  Watching “Animal Planet” influenced his childhood dream of becoming a scientist, but science took a back seat as Alan became more consumed by the pursuit of athletic excellence than elephants.  

Alan earned a teaching grant and became the teacher his parents not-so-secretly wanted him to become.  But the pandemic and its impact on this students, the curricula and his mental health left Alan with a strong desire to make a shift.  He purchased a “Scuba Diving for Dummies” book, practiced holding his breath underwater, and booked a flight to Costa Rica for a 3-month scuba diving internship.  Rich Coast Diving offered the most value for their PADI Zero to Hero program where Alan went from became became a scuba Dive Master. 

Oh, and he had never swam in the ocean before he arrived in Costa Rica.

#divingfamily #richcoastdiving #divemaster #divemastertraining #scubadiving #PADIzerotohero #costarica #PADIpro

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