Chon Completes Maymester Abroad

June 12, 2018

NASHVILLE – Vanderbilt swimming rising senior Eun Sol Chon completed Vanderbilt’s Maymester Abroad program in the Honduran island of Utila last week after spending more than two weeks in the Caribbean.

Chon was a part of the Maymester Above and Below the Surface program, in which a small group of Vanderbilt students spent their time studying the ecology of the Caribbean’s coral reefs and learning about conservation practices and efforts.

“This was the perfect class for me,” Chon said of her first time to Central America. “It aligned exactly with what I want to do after school.”

Following graduation next May, Chon plans to specialize in oceanic wildlife and observe their behaviors. This class offered her a chance to do just that.

“It was important for me to get some exposure to this kind of thing,” Chon said. “It was really exciting to get some real field work in.”

The program began in Nashville, where Chon and her seven classmates became trained and certified in scuba diving before hitting the waters of the Caribbean. Chon, who had never been scuba diving before, finished the Maymester course with 21 scuba dives under her belt.

The class spent a week observing and identifying different species of coral off the Utila coast in the Meso-American reef, which is the second-largest in the world. The class also spent time learning about the relationship between coral and other marine life in the area.

Apart from diving, Chon’s class also spent time spelunking in bat caves and cleaning and recycling items left on beachheads.

The island of Utila, settled off the northwest coast of Honduras is only 17 square miles with a population of only 4,000 people. Chon said their station was deep in the island’s forests, and had little electricity.

“It was a very isolated feeling,” Chon said. “But the only things we had to worry about were tarantulas and scorpions in bed at night.”

Head Coach Jeremy Organ said he is grateful student-athletes get a chance to experience these kind of educational opportunities at Vanderbilt.

“Being a student-athlete, it’s tough to get these kind of experiences,” Organ said. “Being provided this is great for her future career and her development as a person.”