When I learned of plans to open a regional Maritime High School using hands-on, project-based learning to create access to local maritime careers, I jumped at the opportunity to serve as a Community Collaborator.

A fourth-generation resident of South Seattle, I spent much of my childhood along Seattle’s working waterfronts and on sailboats on the Salish Sea. My family owned a bookstore in Pioneer Square that spurred my deep interest in learning. These experiences cultivated a passion for education and the marine environment that helped shape the work I do today.

I have long supported connecting youth with the maritime world. I am a past Board member, and current Advisor, of Salish Sea Expeditions—a project of the Northwest Maritime Center—that connects youth with the marine environment through boat-based scientific inquiry and hands-on learning, instilling curiosity, confidence, and critical thinking.

I have practiced environmental law, focused on marine issues, since graduating from the University of Washington School of Law in 2006. On my first day on the job, I began helping shellfish farmers in Puget Sound obtain permits for their farms. Working with multi-generational family companies producing food from waters I had known my entire life, I felt a strong connection to the work and knew I had found my calling.

In 2009, I co-founded the law firm Plauché & Carr, continuing my law practice while simultaneously pursuing a longstanding goal of starting and running a small business. For 15 years I have advised clients working in marine and coastal areas on strategic planning, environmental restoration, project permitting, ecosystem markets, and other environmental and natural resource issues. Not long after starting Plauché & Carr, I began representing the State of Louisiana in its pursuit of environmental damages resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, dividing my time between Seattle and Louisiana for several years.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my career has been working alongside others in a broad range of maritime fields, including government policymakers and scientists, environmental consultants, shellfish farmers, restoration practitioners, waterfront landowners, and other attorneys. I am excited to bring this experience to my role as a Community Collaborator. It has been an honor to work with other Community Collaborators and the dedicated Maritime High School team to provide input on the school’s curriculum and connect students with a broad range of maritime opportunities and professions. I am energized to see what is on the horizon for Maritime High School.

This is our moment to create positive regional change through powerful maritime experiences. Find out how your investment will make a difference for the students of Maritime High School. Click here to learn more and make a gift.

To learn more and enroll, visit maritime.highlineschools.org