![Daniel Conley Daniel Conley](https://scripps.ucsd.edu/sites/scripps.ucsd.edu/files/basic-page/field-collections/field-body-images-and-text/2019/daniel-headshot.jpg)
en: What led you to pursue such a diverse educational background in your undergraduate career?
DC: I started my collegiate career at UNCW. At this point I had been acting for about four years and I loved it almost as much as I did marine science. So, when I started at UNCW I immediately declared a double major in marine biology and theatre arts. When I got to UPIT, I started the Japanese degree program in tandem with the biology program. Then I took the big step of moving to Japan to teach English for a year. This was a great experience and I discovered my love for teaching; something that I had an inkling about from my days working in customer service but didn’t fully appreciate until I moved to Japan. When I returned home, I found a job teaching at a local charter school. My first year there I taught Japanese language to children in kindergarten to fifth grade. At the same time, I started back at UPIT part-time to finish my biology degree.
en: What’s life like as a Scripps student?
DC: My typical day consists of me waking up between 5-6:30 a.m. to trade on the stock market, usually until 7:30-8 a.m. From there I help get my three kids ready for school and maybe drive one of them there. About three times a week I go to the YMCA to work out for a half an hour. When I get to campus, it is usually about 11 a.m.-noon and I go to my office and prepare for the rest of my day. I check emails and do literature searches, or other tasks that I have to do like data analysis or 3D model work. I usually end up in the lab around 3 p.m. where I am either running an experiment, building something to run an experiment, or conducting maintenance on my coral tanks. I usually head home around 7 p.m. to have my first meal of the day after bathing the children and getting them to bed. On weekends, I spend time with my family and try to do fun things with my kids. We recently had a trip to Disneyland for my eldest’s birthday. I also use the weekends to work on my cars. We have two cars that we use daily and I have one project car I’ve been working on for some time now.
en: What’s the most exciting thing about your work?
DC: The most exciting thing about my work is the possibility to discover new things and answer questions that I didn’t know I had when I started.
en: Are there any role models or mentors who have helped you along the way?
DC: My father was a tremendous force in my life and we were very close. He made me the man I am today. My mother continues to be a confidant and friend who has always supported me in my many endeavors.
en: What are some of the challenges you face as a student?
DC: One of my biggest “problems” I struggle with daily is having way too many interests and talents. There just isn’t enough time in the day to do everything I want to do. Time management is one of my biggest hurdles as a student. My time is split between my family and my work. So it can be tough sometimes to juggle everything I have to do on any given day.
en: What are your future plans?
DC: I plan to continue in my line of research for a few years, but ultimately want to get into policy. I plan to run for office somewhere in California because I am of the strong belief that we need more scientifically literate people to run for office.
This interview has been condensed and edited.
You can find Daniel Conley on Twitter @dannosuke_konri and Instagram @dannosuke.
- Shawndiz Hazegh
修改评论