Since coming to NSU, Robby Spekis won a conference title in the 100 breaststroke, found a dream job at the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program, and completed his dive master certification. He juggled academics, swim practices and meets, two jobs, and still earned a 4.0 GPA this past semester. For his hard work in the pool, classroom, and community, Spekis was named a recipient of the Carl Hawkins, Jr. Endowed NSU Athletics Varsity Swim Team Scholarship.
Since coming to NSU, Robby Spekis won a conference title in the 100 breaststroke, found a dream job at the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program, and completed his dive master certification. He juggled academics, swim practices and meets, two jobs, and still earned a 4.0 GPA this past semester. For his hard work in the pool, classroom, and community, Spekis was named a recipient of the Carl Hawkins, Jr. Endowed NSU Athletics Varsity Swim Team Scholarship.
A rising senior in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Spekis came to NSU from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for two things—to major in marine biology and compete on the university’s swim team.
“Ultimately, I want to become a vet, specifically a marine rehab veterinarian for sea turtles,” Spekis said. “I looked at a lot of schools in Florida, but once I toured NSU’s Oceanographic Campus, it was almost set in stone that this is where I wanted to come.”
“The marine science and marine biology program is one of the most amazing aspects of this university in my opinion,” he added. “I am grateful for how diverse the program is. You couldn’t get an education like this in this field anywhere else.”
While working toward his bachelor’s degree in marine biology, and minoring in business, Spekis credits NSU’s professors, facilities, and community partnerships with giving him this unique educational experience. He has studied shark specimens in class, rescues stranded sea turtles at work, and will spend the summer participating in two research projects—one in Hawaii and the other in the Galapagos Islands.
In Hawaii, Spekis will be studying how various areas of the same island have drastically different ecosystems and organisms. Coral reefs and communities are the focus of the trip to the Galapagos Islands. Because of postponements due to COVID, both projects are happening this year.
“The scholarship I received allows me to participate and enjoy these oceanographic research trips with less worry about the financial strain, and I cannot thank Mr. Hawkins enough for that,” Spekis said. “I’m excited to get a better understanding of how to do field research, because so far, I’ve only done lab-based work and data analysis. It’s wide open as to how to go about these projects, and I’m eager to see what I observe and what I can do with the data collections.”
As a member of NSU’s swim team, Spekis has been named a College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) All-American every year that he has been at the university. He is honored to be part of one of the most consistent and highly ranked teams at NSU and counts his conference title during his freshman year as one of his favorite memories.
“It was out of nowhere. No one expected it,” he said. “I had a good swim in the morning that set me up well for the finals. I just blacked out in the race and ended up touching first. It was awesome.”
Spekis plans to graduate next year and hopes to secure a spot at a veterinarian school to continue fulfilling his goals. Placements are difficult to obtain, but Spekis feels NSU has provided him with a solid foundation for that next step.
“I’m set up well. But if I don’t go straight into vet school, I’m not going to be upset to take a gap year or two and get my feet wet in other areas of science that will give me more experience,” he said.
“I’m also going to live out my 20s a little bit. Everyone I’ve ever talked to at my jobs has said to enjoy your 20s, so I’m going to take their advice.”
For more information on how to support NSU Athletics, contact Michael Mominey, director of athletics and associate vice president for university advancement, at (954) 262-8252 or via email at mominey@nova.edu.