Robert (Bob) Cisneros:  

Life I graduated from QHS in 1978. I was Senior class president, played football for Coach Leonard and Coach Alvey, and was on the yearbook staff. During the spring, I ran track for Mr. Potvin. I left Virginia for the Santa Cruz Mountains almost immediately upon graduation. That fall, I attended San Jose State University as a declared Psychology major. After two years, I caught a flight (a $69 special!) to Hawaii and began making plans to stay and transfer to the University of Hawaii. Hawaii; I couldn't think of a better place to be a poor student. Having modified my major to Zoology (Marine Biology) and Psychology, I soon found that I was literally surrounded with opportunities to gain experience in the field of Marine Science. I stayed in Hawaii for almost 8 years, most of which I spent working as a research technician for the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology. There, I worked on reef restoration, aquaculture, mariculture, language acquisition with bottlenose dolphins, water quality analysis, and spent time aboard the submersible "Maka li'i" (I won't tell you what we were doing 500 feet below the surface, you'll have to ask!). In 1986 I returned to the mainland and worked as a Behavior Specialist developing operant conditioning programs for autistic and developmentally disabled children with severe behavior problems. Much different from my salty days at sea, I enjoyed the challenge and was satisfied that part of my education was being put to good use. In 1991, I took a month-long trip to Costa Rica. This was well before the infestation of ziplines and E-ticket eco-tourism. Taking a bus to Monteverde meant a four hour trip with "Ticos" a...Expand for more