For my STEP (Second year Transformational Experience Program) Signature Project, I got SCUBA certified through Columbus Scuba in Ottawa Ohio. I took pool courses in October and finished my open water courses in a quarry. I got my advanced open water certification, which opens the opportunity for more specialty courses. Certifications are for lifelong and never expire, since they never expire, it is encouraged to keep continuing with different SCUBA courses. 

Having never done anything like SCUBA I was a little nervous I was not going to like it. The people along with the opportunities for internships or jobs in the future. The people are helpful and willing to help with any questions you might have. While also giving you feedback on how to improve and find diving more enjoyable. The people there helped me become a better driver from the instructors to my buddy whom I met the morning of our first open water dive. 

My original goal was to gain more self-confidence while diving and I feel like I accomplished that. Even between the two separate certifications, I felt more confident in my abilities both while in the water as well as even on the surface with the equipment. Having amazing instructors and people taking the class was amazing. This aided in feeling more comfortable and gaining more confidence. 

Working with the people at Columbus Scuba was amazing their staff was super helpful and was more than willing to help by reexplaining or showing you again. Just making sure you felt one hundred percent confident in all the skills that were focused on. I worked with a couple of different instructors and all of them were amazing. I have always struggled with asking questions to instructors or even help with anything. These instructors answered so many questions with no hesitation and were just as happy to advise on how to improve. 

It was also nice to talk to people I normally would not. I met so many interesting people during my certification weekends. From nurses, lawyers, families, or even other college students. Everyone was nice and found things to talk about or ask each other. I was getting certified by myself so I would get buddied up with a stranger. Having never met this person until that morning was a little stressful, but we helped each other, checked gear, and even after we got certified we went on a dive together with another person we met that weekend. My second weekend was a little different and instead of a dive student, my partner was a dive master. Which originally made me nervous since I was still new and they were a good diver. That weekend I got so much feedback on things I did well and things to focus on for the next dive. I found this so nice, having the ability to focus on the feedback the next dive and grow. The people I met made diving a sport I want to continue in the future. 

Gaining confidence can be tricky, especially if you are new or having issues with getting into something. It is helpful when the people around you are nice and share a common love for the interest you are trying to get into. From asking about other courses and who knows a lot about that topic and pointing you in the right direction. The people in this community that I have met so far have all been extremely helpful and amazing. 

I still am unsure what I want to do after graduation, but this helped narrow it down a bit. Even if I end up doing something that does not require SCUBA, I will be able to continue. Since the certifications I received are lifetime certifications, I can still go diving and just have fun with it. Being comfortable in the water was my main goal. I gained the confidence for diving and learning how to improve and what I need to work on was the many focuses. This has also opened the door for the opportunities to do some internships. While trying to pick my project at the beginning of the program, I originally was looking for an internship but could not find one I could do without scuba that sounded fun. Now with the certifications, I could try and work for one of those and learn more about what career path I want to go down.