JESSICA STRICKLAND
Biography
I am a passionate, creative individual with a strong passion for conservation and all things marine. I love problem solving through a good chat, taking pictures and making movies, travelling, and exploring the outdoors. Growing up and moving around coastal Australia and developing countries such as Papua New Guinea and Western Samoa has made me an open-minded and culturally aware individual with a broad global perspective, a keen appreciation for diversity and a unique insight into the many things that make each place and culture so distinct and special.
Throughout my life I have excelled academically and have emerged as a natural leader amongst my peers, graduating from Matthew Flinders Anglican college with an OP3 (meaning I was in the top 5% of students graduating in the state of Queensland) and being selected for a youth volunteering expedition to Africa based on my leadership qualities. This pattern has continued throughout my studies in science and planning at Griffith University , where I was a member of the Griffith Honours College, lead peer mentor and where I was selected to take on an ongoing teaching role. In 2014 I graduated from a Bachelor of Science with a double major in Marine Biology and Climate Change Adaptation, winning the Applied Science Medal for the highest achieving graduate in the Bachelors degree. In 2015 I completed my undergraduate studies for a Bachelor of Urban and Environmental Planning and I am now in the final stages of an Environmental Planning Honours degree looking at using integrated land sea planning to improve the Moreton Bay Marine Park in South East Queensland.
I have been an enthusiastic self-starter all my life and, as soon as I was able, I got my first job and I have been employed in a variety of roles ever since. These include the role of a junior manager at Pizza Hut as a 17-year-old, a sailor in the Royal Australian Navy, a grounds attendant at Dunk Island Resort, and a Graphic Designer and Marketing Manager for the Sunshine Coast whale watching company, Whale One. In each and every role I apply the utmost dedication and professionalism, using my multitasking skills to get the job done on time to an exceptional standard. I have also had experience running my own business, Strawbs Photography, which has taught me time-management skills and has combined my love for photography, nature and people.
In recent years, I have turned my focus towards the ocean, working as a marine biologist at Wavelength Reef Cruises and as an underwater videographer and marketing consultant for Back to Basics Adventures, an up and coming television show. I have also had the opportunity to volunteer on a few ocean related projects, including bull shark research on the Gold Coast, a 2-week grey nurse shark research expedition in southern Queensland, and assisting with deckhand duties on a BBC Oceans filming expedition on the Great Barrier Reef. I am now completing a four month program diving in Komodo National Park in Indonesia, where I will also become a PADI Divemaster.
I also have a deep passion for human rights, conservation and environmental sustainability and I have taken on active volunteer roles in these areas over the years. Roles include volunteering as an EcoCop at Splendour in the Grass Music Festival, undertaking research into the conflict surrounding the proposed development of the Southport Spit on Queensland's Gold Coast, and becoming a member of the Save Our Spit Alliance, the Australian Youth Climate Coalition and the Australian Coastal Society. Most recently, I co-launched I.SEA., an initiative to increase education and promote awareness of marine fauna and related conservation issues, through freediving photography of, and information about, marine creatures.
Overall, I am an enthusiastic, outgoing person who shows initiative, puts in 100% every time, who stands out from the crowd and who is excited to make a meaningful contribution in the marine planning, management and conservation sectors.
Throughout my life I have excelled academically and have emerged as a natural leader amongst my peers, graduating from Matthew Flinders Anglican college with an OP3 (meaning I was in the top 5% of students graduating in the state of Queensland) and being selected for a youth volunteering expedition to Africa based on my leadership qualities. This pattern has continued throughout my studies in science and planning at Griffith University , where I was a member of the Griffith Honours College, lead peer mentor and where I was selected to take on an ongoing teaching role. In 2014 I graduated from a Bachelor of Science with a double major in Marine Biology and Climate Change Adaptation, winning the Applied Science Medal for the highest achieving graduate in the Bachelors degree. In 2015 I completed my undergraduate studies for a Bachelor of Urban and Environmental Planning and I am now in the final stages of an Environmental Planning Honours degree looking at using integrated land sea planning to improve the Moreton Bay Marine Park in South East Queensland.
I have been an enthusiastic self-starter all my life and, as soon as I was able, I got my first job and I have been employed in a variety of roles ever since. These include the role of a junior manager at Pizza Hut as a 17-year-old, a sailor in the Royal Australian Navy, a grounds attendant at Dunk Island Resort, and a Graphic Designer and Marketing Manager for the Sunshine Coast whale watching company, Whale One. In each and every role I apply the utmost dedication and professionalism, using my multitasking skills to get the job done on time to an exceptional standard. I have also had experience running my own business, Strawbs Photography, which has taught me time-management skills and has combined my love for photography, nature and people.
In recent years, I have turned my focus towards the ocean, working as a marine biologist at Wavelength Reef Cruises and as an underwater videographer and marketing consultant for Back to Basics Adventures, an up and coming television show. I have also had the opportunity to volunteer on a few ocean related projects, including bull shark research on the Gold Coast, a 2-week grey nurse shark research expedition in southern Queensland, and assisting with deckhand duties on a BBC Oceans filming expedition on the Great Barrier Reef. I am now completing a four month program diving in Komodo National Park in Indonesia, where I will also become a PADI Divemaster.
I also have a deep passion for human rights, conservation and environmental sustainability and I have taken on active volunteer roles in these areas over the years. Roles include volunteering as an EcoCop at Splendour in the Grass Music Festival, undertaking research into the conflict surrounding the proposed development of the Southport Spit on Queensland's Gold Coast, and becoming a member of the Save Our Spit Alliance, the Australian Youth Climate Coalition and the Australian Coastal Society. Most recently, I co-launched I.SEA., an initiative to increase education and promote awareness of marine fauna and related conservation issues, through freediving photography of, and information about, marine creatures.
Overall, I am an enthusiastic, outgoing person who shows initiative, puts in 100% every time, who stands out from the crowd and who is excited to make a meaningful contribution in the marine planning, management and conservation sectors.