In this exciting episode, we welcome Madeleine Pacheco, a 2nd-year PhD student in the Barber Lab at UCLA, UC Santa Barbara alumna, and NSF Graduate Research Fellowship recipient. Madeleine shares her unique journey into the world of marine science, reflecting on how her upbringing, heritage, and community shaped her path as a scientist. As the first Hispanic guest on Black Nerds Matter, she opens up about the influence of her cultural identity on her research and experiences in STEM.