Reflecting on the MMM - Danilo Piljevic
Reflecting on my experience these past 16 months, I never could have predicted where the Master of Marine Management program would take me, and I am all the happier for that.
Celebrating with the 2024-2025 MMM class on the last day of the program!
If I could share the lessons I’ve learned with future students, I would recommend exploring every opportunity you have and ensuring others around you know what your goals are. Between November of 2024 and April of 2025, I explored seven different internship opportunities and went through five interview processes before finding my position for the summer of 2025. At times I felt as though I would never find the right position, but with help from the Marine Affairs faculty and the support of my family and classmates, I was able to find an opportunity I would have never thought possible. I believe it was that support system and my candor regarding my interests that led to me securing my opportunity, and that is why I believe communicating your goals is so important. I have heard others further along in their careers speak about how sometimes you may not be able to pursue your ideal path right away because there may not be any openings in your specific field or area of research. I agree with that statement, but I believe there are still steps that can be taken to improve your chances.
Dr. David Borish, my internship host at Cloudberry, and I filming with Fort Folly First Nation in New Brunswick.
If you are in a program like the Master of Marine Management, you have already made it into an environment where you are connected to a hugely diverse array of mentors and professionals willing to help. Use them. Those same mentors will be much more capable of providing help if they know what exactly you want. So tell them. If you are unsure of what your goals may be, those same people can help you figure that out. If you are in the MMM program, you are far from alone even if it may feel that way in the beginning. Embrace the community, talk to people, learn where to go for the information you need, and you can increase your chances of pursuing your goals. Even if you don’t find the perfect internship or graduate project to pursue over the summer, the connections you make in exploring those possibilities are still valuable. Work to maintain those relationships where possible and appropriate, and you may find that opportunities return to you when you least expect them.
Lastly, although it may seem simple, I’d like to urge any future MMM’s to believe in themselves. It is so easy to come into a new environment filled with people you see as much more successful or knowledgeable than yourself and feel inadequate. It’s a natural feeling, but also likely misplaced. Don’t undersell yourself. Make sure people know who you are, what you stand for, and what you’re good at; and don’t limit yourself to what aspects you think are relevant only for academia. You never know what skills will become more valuable than you initially expect. The MMM program is no doubt an exciting and nurturing environment, but it also ends quickly. Take advantage of the time you are given, explore the opportunities that exist for you, and make sure to reach out to the people that can help you obtain those opportunities. The program may end after 16 months, but the relationships you develop can continue long after.
