
Scientific Diving Discovery Program students overcome challenges through mutual support
A typical early summer morning at the USC Wrigley Institute’s Wrigley Marine Science Center waterfront is a tranquil sight. The waves of Big Fisherman Cove ebb and flow, gently nudging floating kelp closer to shallow waters. Great blue herons, which nest in the cliffs next to the water, quietly hunt for breakfast as bright orange Garibaldi fish dart in and out of the rocky reefs along the shore. On a recent July morning, however, the view was different. A small group huddled together at the dock, a palpable sense of urgency filling the air as they cheered loudly for two figures in the water. Angelo Spinosa, a student in Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability’s Scientific Diving Discovery Program (SDDP), was retaking his swim test for the sixth time. Jordyn Scott, another diver-in-training, was in the water to provide moral support and help Spinosa to keep his pace. As part of the annual, month-long SDDP, students from underrepresented backgrounds complete training on the fundamentals of scuba diving and underwater research. For Spinosa, who navigated financial challenges while moving 13 times over the course of his educational career, the high cost of equipment and training had made scientific diving seem more like a lofty dream than an attainable achievement. So when he heard about the SDDP through a professor at L.A. Valley College, he jumped at the opportunity. He was determined to get certified in scientific diving before starting classes as a marine biology student at California State University, Long Beach this fall.