built as university of washington interdisciplinary honors portfolio from 2021-2024

ACADEMIC PORTFOLIO

My name is Samantha-Lynn Martinez, and I am a graduate in the marine biology and ecology, evolution, and conservation biology programs at the University of Washington.

As a part of my Interdisciplinary Honors program at UW, I've crafted this portfolio capturing the highs and lows of my undergraduate studies across the years.​

If there is one thing I've taken away from this experience, it's that everything... and I mean absolutely everything... are closer than they appear.

Doesn't that phrase sound familiar?

CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR

In the fall of 2023, I sat in the passenger seat of my friend’s car, zipping down a scenic highway past the Grand Tetons in Wyoming. We had the windows down, blasting some of our favorite road trip tunes (which happened to be a remix of Baby Shark at the time), and it felt perfect. This was our celebration after a whirlwind week at the "Oscars of Wildlife Film" in Jackson Hole, and I was at peace, and completely content with myself and my settings for the first time in a very long time.

With my camera against the window pane, I aimed it directly into the side mirror and when I peeked into the viewfinder, the words "CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR" took over the top third of my frame.

A simple snippet from the phrase "OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR" would suddenly turn into much more than just a safety warning for driving.

I realized in that moment, that I was exactly who dreamt of becoming, just a few years ago.

My dreams were here and realized, occurring much sooner than I had ever expected. My friends in the car were just strangers five days ago, yet we shared intimate stories and stargazed into the late night between moments of film festival chaos. My next event in Bend, Oregon, was just one day away, even though I felt I'd have much more time than I really did. And now, I'm faced with the discovery that I am graduating at the end of 2024, rather than Spring of 2025. 

As a student and as a young adult, I've been coping with this "closer than they appear" concept for much longer than I'd like to admit. But it is only when I took a second to look back and reflect at this moment in time that it all made sense.

So, this is my story. From a very nervous 18-year old learning the ropes of independence to a now 22-year old (as of December 2024) wrapping up just a few loose ends before fledging the nest. I hope this page brings you insight into my learning journey, skills, and aspirations, and that it can be a resource of comfort, or a testament of tenacity for whoever stumbles across it.

Samantha-Lynn Martinez Samantha-Lynn Martinez

Winter 2024: Change is Scary...

From academic planning jump-scares, to fulfilling goals from quarters past, this was the quarter where change was the game.

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Samantha-Lynn Martinez Samantha-Lynn Martinez

Autumn 2023: Time to dive in!

This quarter was FULL of wacky twists and turns, for both academic AND professional opportunities.

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Samantha-Lynn Martinez Samantha-Lynn Martinez

Spring 2023: Brighter days ahead

Learning when to step back, leap forward, and relish in the growth that is often overlooked by my own being.

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Samantha-Lynn Martinez Samantha-Lynn Martinez

Autumn 2022: New Year, New Adventures!

Excited to start my SECOND year here at UW! This quarter, I finished my very first Ad Hoc project, and my last Experiential Learning experience. Check it out!

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Samantha-Lynn Martinez Samantha-Lynn Martinez

Summer 2022: Sunny Days Ahead

While I didn't take classes this summer quarter, here is an exploration of my very first Experiential Learning activity and the sunny adventures alongside it!

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Highlights

  • Surprises to Academic Pathway

    There might be something just out of view that might swoop in at the perfect time and change the trajectory of your journey.

  • Major Classes, Personal Benchmarks, Events

    Fuel up, access resources, and learn along the way.

  • Out-of-Class Professional Development and Research

    ​Often hard to learn and practice, maintaining parallels between academic and professional goals is intense.

  • Present and Future plans

    Even though there is never a straight path to where you want to go, it's reassuring to think about the immediate steps ahead.