Reflections on attending ADPA for the first time in 2024
Niko Kowell, DSO, Aquarium of the Bay
As a long-time aquarium volunteer and diver the underwater world has been my “happy place,” but it has always been something I’ve done on the side. During the pandemic I left my non-profit job, where I was working with a wide array of folks from LGBTQ communities to unhoused communities and finally pursued my dreams of becoming a scuba instructor. I fell in love with teaching diving and started building my own business to center Queer and Trans people in diving. Then I was offered a part time job as a maintenance diver at my aquarium. It was great, coming in 3 days a week and doing all sorts of underwater projects. In early 2024 I was given an incredible opportunity. The current DSO left, and I was offered the position. It has turned into a dream job in every way. The ADPA has made it even better and made me excited about the ADPA community and the potential impact I can have on others in the ADPA. It’s also been a great source of support. I’ll be honest, going in, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The world of diving is dominated by white, straight, cis men and sometimes holding views more on the conservative side. As a queer and trans person this can be an intimidating and unwelcoming space for folks like me. However, I found the ADPA to be the opposite. I was embraced and encouraged, invited to visit, reach out for support and more.
I learned so much at ADPA, from different surface supply techniques, to hearing about different ways to do drills/training. As a new DSO, even hearing about what’s going on at other institutions was helpful. It normalized the challenges I have as a DSO, which are not that different from those faced by other institutions. I was proud I had the opportunity to give a talk about Trans folks in the diving world. Though I was nervous about the reception my talk would receive. During my talk I saw many smiles and head nods in the audience. It was incredibly affirming. After my talk I was blown away by the number of people who approached me and thanked me. I felt seen and connected, which motivated me to reach out to more DSOs to connect. I recently went to NYC and spent the day with the DSO at the NY Aquarium (Rachel Ernst) and took a day trip up to The Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk to connect with their DSO, Gillian Donald, who I met at ADPA. Next up I’m spending the day with Cal Academy and Monterey Bay Aquarium. If I find myself in your city, expect that I’ll reach out to connect and if you are in mine, San Francisco, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’d love to show you my institution and connect as DSOs. In the end the biggest take away from ADPA for me was that the ADPA/DSO community is a community I want to invest in.
