For some students, the path to a career in science is a straight line. For Sean Michael Valencia Monte, it included a serendipitous route. 

Born and raised in the Philippines before moving to Waipahu at age seven, Monte entered the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa with a clear plan: he wanted to continue his award-winning high school research on microbial fuel cells and soil science. He enrolled in the Global Environmental Sciences (GES) program within the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), believing it was housed under a different School at UH Mānoa.

“Despite the mix-up that led me here, it became one of the best decisions I have made,” Monte shared. “The GES program introduced me to oceanography, where I discovered the field that now drives my academic and research interests.”

Read more about it in the Jan. 07, 2026 SOEST News item.