On Episode 21, Milan Foston talks about being a Los Angeles-based mermaid, her first time scuba diving and what it’s like being a Civil Litigation and Environmental Law Attorney. Interview starts at 13:30.

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedImage Description: Milan wears a blue dress and sea star hair clips in her hair while smiling, looking at and holding a Blue Coral in both of her hands. This coral is from Papua New Guinea and was gifted to her from her grandparents. Her nails are also painted a similar color as her dress and the coral. A white wall is in the background.Milan is a Civil Litigation and Environmental Law attorney. She is also PADI certified Rescue Diver and PADI Certified Mermaid! In her spare time, Milan grows coral in her home reef aquarium and regularly scuba dives in the Pacific Ocean. Having the skills to practice aquaculture and dive, she is aware of the current state of our oceans. Through research, these skills allow Milan to see first hand how fish, coral and marine mammals thrive in the ocean. This knowledge is imperative to create and reinforce solutions for sustaining our oceans through Ocean and Coastal Law and Policy. Milan also provides law firms with strategies to become sustainable while furthering climate change efforts.Milan is a board member of Aquatic Futures Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that trains and prepares young adults to become certified scientific scuba divers and assists their journey in the marine science water-based workforce.

Additionally, Milan is a member and content creator for a Black & Brown Women’s Scuba Diving club @DeepBlueDiveCrew, which introduces, trains and certifies women to become recreational divers at no cost. Diversifying the scuba diving community has always been important to Milan, so she dedicates her time to document & support the journey of new divers.

Feel free to check out Milan’s YouTube channel and Instagram @TheCoralDoctor to see visuals of her reef aquarium, diving adventures, conservation advocacy, scientific dives, reef restoration and further updates.

We talk about:

• Her family’s historical contribution to the aerospace industry

• Milan’s journey becoming a Civil Litigation and Environmental Law Attorney

• The influence of parents/legal guardians/caregivers and generational support

• The ripple effects of encouragement

• What it’s like being a Los Angeles-based mermaid

• Mermaid certifications, gathering spaces and communities

• Her first time scuba diving in the ocean

• What it’s like being underwater

• What makes all the difference when learning how to scuba dive

• What happened during a long awaited night dive with Manta rays in Hawai’i

• Milan spending years working toward her law degree and overcoming challenges to graduate from law school

• Remembering how far we have come

• Taking time to celebrate our accomplishments while enjoying the NOW

• What keeps Milan going

• Doing things that make us happy + much more!

RESOURCES:

• Website: The Coral Doctor

• Instagram: @thecoraldoctor

• YouTube: PADI Open Water & Advanced Open Water Scuba Certifications with Jewfish Scuba!

ADDITIONAL MENTIONS:

• Aquatic Futures Foundation

• Deep Blue Dive Crew

• Black in Marine Science Week

HOW TO SUPPORT MILAN’S WORK:

People can support Milan by following her journey in the aquarium, conservation, conservation, legal and awareness efforts!

Follow the podcast on Instagram @throughlinepodcast

The intro music on this podcast is sourced from PixaBay, a vibrant community of creatives, sharing royalty-free images, videos, audio and other media.

To access the transcript: please click the “transcript” button below the title of the podcast next to the “share button”