Funding your studies is something that every Masters student will have to think about. With fees, living costs and often travel to pay for, the costs can stack up. 2015-16 Sustainable Aquaculture MSc student Julien Stevens found an enterprising way around this - crowd funding his research. Offering to 'pay it forwards' through community service giving dance lessons, tutoring and mentoring and environmental cleanups, Julien raised over half of the funds that he needed for his Masters.
It paid off for Julien: after traveling from New Zealand to Scotland to complete the Masters, he is now working in Hawaii as a Researcher and Outreach Coordinator for Kampachi Farms. Along the way, he published a high-quality paper from his thesis on increasing the value of aquaculture through utilising by-products.
Julien is also the star of a new GAA video on the lives of three young fish farmers living on the Big Island of Hawaii, what "being Hawaiian" means to them and how farming fish for their respective companies affects their interaction with the islands.
Julien is a great example of how students can use novel and enterprising ways to reach their goals, and achieve success along the way!
