EMC 2024 Year In Review - Report - Page 20
Alumni Spotlight
Sophie Kalkowski-Pope (EMC 2019-2020)
Bachelor of Science / Bachelor of Arts, Marine Biology and Geography
UQ Valedictorian
2023 Australasian Scholar of the Our World Underwater Scholarship Society
An avid science communicator, diver, and marine conservationist, The University of Queensland, and
Emmanuel College alumna Sophie Kalkowski-Pope has had a passion for the marine world from a young
age. Growing up in Cairns, with the Great Barrier Reef as her backyard, the UQ Valedictorian, with majors
in Marine Science and Geography, witnessed the 2017 mass coral bleaching events on her local reef at
16 years of age, and records it as being a pivotal moment in her life. This experience was a foundational
moment in terms of realising her passion for science communication, and the initiative required to take
action as a young leader.
In 2023, at the age of 22, Sophie was awarded the Australasian Scholarship of the Our World-Underwater
Scholarship Society® (OWUSS). The scholarship is an opportunity ofered to only three recipients worldwide
each year, to provide orsthand experiences in underwater-related disciplines to young people considering
careers in the underwater world. As the OWUSS Australasian Scholar, Sophie spent the past year travelling
to 13 countries, undertook 150 dives, and spent 30 days at sea, upskilling her research skills and diving
capabilities. From ice diving in Finland, to analysing marine e-DNA in Japan and freedive training with
world champions in Taiwan, Sophie says the experiences were transformative.
