Last weekend, the University of Delaware celebrated the Class of 2016 at its 167th Commencement ceremony. Many of the students who graduated will follow the direct path of their degrees — a job in the field, graduate school in their area of expertise.

For others, the path isn’t quite as straight and narrow.

According to UD alumnus Jonathan Dinman, a 2015 graduate of UD’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment (CEOE), following the road less traveled can, in fact, help you to find your calling.

Dinman is using his degree in marine science to pursue a career in aquarium science, a field he unintentionally fell into after realizing that a career in academia wasn’t for him. He is currently completing a one-year certificate program in aquarium science at the Oregon Coast Community College in order to begin his career as an aquarist in a public aquarium — the aquatic animal equivalent of a zookeeper — and achieve his long-term goal of becoming a curator.

While at UD, Dinman was proactive about searching for hands-on opportunities. He spent the summer after his freshman year conducting research on the Lewes campus with marine science professor Mark Warner through UD’s Summer Scholars, an undergraduate research and experiential learning program. Warner, who specializes in coral reef research, introduced Dinman to the idea of working with live animals, which he then linked to aquarium science.

The next year he interned at World Aquarium in his hometown of St. Louis, which only enhanced his interest in this unexpected field. He spent the remaining winter and summer breaks interning at various aquariums including the New England Aquarium in Boston, one of the largest aquariums in the country.

This cascade of events, coupled with research and laboratory skills learned through classroom lectures, field experiences and internships at UD, he said, gave him a leg up when he entered the certificate program.

In particular, Dinman recalled the marine science colloquium courses that he took during the first three years, which featured guest lectures, field trips and courses on resumes, cover letters and internships.

“It's hard to describe all the small ways that UD and CEOE shaped who I am now, but thanks to the resources that CEOE provides its students, I was prepared to move on with my education and my career,” he said.

As he nears completion of his certificate program, Dinman’s days consist of attending classes, conducting research and volunteering at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. In addition to maintaining a jellyfish system as part of a course, he also conducts fieldwork at a hatchery, a small scale aquaculture facility that replenishes fish stocks, where he is investigating the odor indicators that salmon are exposed to early on in life that lead them back to certain hatcheries.

Later this month, Dinman will begin a yearlong position as an assistant aquarist with the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. In this role, he will help take care of over 35,000 fish and aquatic invertebrates in 200 live exhibits, while receiving on-the-job introductory training to full-time aquatic animal care.

Pursuing a career in this multidisciplinary field means that Dinman will combine his marine science background that he received at UD, his love for animals and managerial skills developed through countless hours of volunteer work at a local aquarium.

“It’s fun, dynamic and intense and it doesn’t feel like work because I get to play with animals. What more can I ask for?.