Milena's Open Road

MILENA ACOSTA

Education Outreach Supervisor
Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific

LEADER INFO:

INTERESTS:

Environment & Nature Science

THEMES DISCUSSED:

Passion Pressure Struggle

TAGS:

advice, bilingual, Caribbean, columbia, diving, doctor, expectations, immigrant, love, marine biology, parents, scuba, Spanish, study abroad

BIOGRAPHY:

You can't please 'em all: this is a unavoidable truth that Milena Costa understands first-hand. As the Education Outreach Supervisor at the Aquarium of the Pacific, Milena loves what does—but her mom’s still waiting for her to get a Ph.D.! And mom might be waiting a while, because Milena is pretty darn happy edifying aquarium visitors with entertaining and educational programs that explore the wonders of the ocean. Milena might not be doing exactly what everyone else wants her to do, but she’s arrived at happiness because she’s followed one simple philosophy: Choose love. Whether it’s chasing her passions, or spending time with people she cares about, doing what brings her joy has been her life-vest in a chaotic world. Of course, when you unapologetically pursue something you want, you might not satisfy the expectations of others. Case in point: Milena’s parents, who were immigrants to this country, expected her to capitalize on the opportunities in America by becoming a doctor. Milena was thankful for the resources she was given that her parents never had, but the truth was: medicine simply didn’t interest her. Instead, she chose a path that she loved: marine biology. And she’s been happy ever since.