Devon at the start of her journey.

Devon's Adventures
Antarctica Research Project

By Devon, 19

Five years ago I was a freshman in high school and a girl in my Girl Scout troop was informed about a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to Antarctica."

My friend immediately applied, and we all knew she had the Girl Scout and science background to be highly regarded. But as it turns out she was named the runner up and didn't get to go. As soon as I heard about the trip, I knew I wanted to do it someday.

Eyes on the Prize

I realized that preparation for it would be a lot of work—I'd have to really dive into to science and Girl Scouts even more than I already was. I was right. From that moment on, everything I did was science-based—even my Girl Scout Gold Award Project was about water pollution awareness—and I became even more involved with Girl Scouts. I was even the registrar for our unit in Europe for a year.

Making the Cut

The Antarctica trip was always on my mind, always pushing me to do more and do my best. Last February I received notice that the application was out. I had two weeks to do the nine application essays, the short answer essays, and get my references. You can ask anyone—I wasn't the most pleasant person during those couple of weeks, in fact I heard some people avoided my dorm room! But soon enough I was just waiting to hear whether or not I would make the cut. Within a week and half or so I was informed that I would be one of the five that would be interviewed over the phone. This was good fun because of the time difference I was in my PJs when they called. It was a long but enjoyable interview, ending with "If you could bring only three items to "the Ice" with you, what would they be?" My answer: "My camera, my journal, and my toothbrush."

Dreams Coming True

On my birthday, March 1, I was finally told that I had been chosen, and thanks to the time differences between Alaska and Japan I couldn't even call my ma to tell her! I go University of Alaska in Fairbanks and my parents are currently living in Japan. But I waited a few hours and then decided I could wake her a little early.

The Fun's Just Begun

I knew the hard work wasn't over, but—wow!—that was an understatement. For the following months I was in and out of hospitals being checked, constantly in contact with Girl Scouts of the USA in New York and the National Science Foundation in Denver getting thing settled. At one point in time some of the people in Denver and Washington, D.C., tracked me down in Phoenix (I was there visiting) by calling my mother's friend's daughter's cell phone in the middle of a mall! It was crazy!

On My Way

Once I got back to Fairbanks after my summer vacation everything seemed to cool down a little bit, nothing too exciting, just packing, talking, and ticket buying. Now, on Oct 2, I'm sitting on an airplane headed towards New Zealand. My next big experience: getting fitted for extreme cold weather clothing. I get to be all wrapped up!

Until Next Time

I know it's only the beginning and I'm excited for every step of the way. I'll be sure to let you know my whereabouts and goings-on. I'm excited to be representing Girl Scouts on the research team and I'll be sure to keep you filled in on how I am doing. So, be sure to check back here every month to find out how my adventure is going!