Amid the noise and fast pace of everyday life, Aubrey Jane T. Cayusa stands out with her quiet strength and thoughtful nature. Describing herself as calm and observant, Aubrey is one of those rare souls who find beauty in simplicity and wisdom in silence.

Outside the academic world, Aubrey finds comfort in the things that speak to her spirit. She’s a lover of music, with a heart still loyal to her childhood favorite — Avril Lavigne. The pop-punk and alternative rock anthems that filled her early years remain her refuge, especially “Losing Grip,” a song she holds dear. But her creativity doesn’t stop with music. Aubrey plays instruments, sketches, reads, and indulges in e-games and movies. The animated film Finding Dory, with its theme of persistence and belonging, perfectly captures the ups and downs of her college life — a reminder to “just keep swimming” no matter how murky the waters get.

Aubrey is also a nurturer by nature. She cultivates plants and raises animals, although with one humorous exception: while fried chicken is a favorite dish, she draws the line at eating the chickens she’s personally cared for, jokingly admitting she might cry.

Aubrey’s journey into fisheries wasn’t a lifelong plan but a door opened by opportunity. A scholarship gave her a chance to step into a world she knew little about. It wasn’t until she began working on research papers that something clicked. “I realized this was the program for me when we started working on different research papers. I’ve always enjoyed reading and researching about the topics I choose. That’s when I knew this was the right program for me,” she shares.

Her admiration for fisheries professional Melkie Guisingmadali also fueled her interest, showing her that this field wasn’t just about culturing fish, but about making meaningful contributions to marine science and coastal communities through research.

Like many students, Aubrey faced her fair share of challenges, especially during the pandemic. Online learning brought unexpected obstacles: “The environment at home and all the responsibilities made it hard for me to focus on my studies.” Yet, she found ways to cope — playing games, watching movies, and immersing herself in the hobbies she loved.

She also drew strength from her family, friends, and scholarship. “For knowledge, I relied on Google. For support, I had my family and friends. And for financial needs, my family and the scholarship helped me a lot,” she reflects.

Failures weren’t foreign to her either. “So many times, I can’t even count or list them all,” she admits with honesty. But every stumble became part of the quiet, steady expansion of her character.

Looking ahead, Aubrey remains grounded. Her immediate plan is to take the board exam and, if fortunate, secure a place at DA-BFAR. But her hopes stretch far beyond personal achievements. She dreams of a fisheries industry in Caraga and the Philippines that’s sustainable and built on research. “I believe through continuous studies and research, we can find better ways to manage marine resources, improve aquaculture practices, and help small-scale fishers,” she envisions.

Perhaps it’s no surprise that her favorite marine creature is the turtle — calm, unbothered, and essential to the ecosystem. Much like her, turtles quietly do their part without causing chaos, a fitting symbol for someone whose mantra is: “Like the universe, I’m still expanding.”

And indeed, Aubrey Jane T. Cayusa is a universe in herself — calm on the surface, endlessly curious within, and constantly growing toward new horizons. (Andy T. Ordoña, Information Officer, DA-BFAR Caraga)