Her Story
About Aspen
Aspen Jankowski is a marine operations, scuba diving, deckhand, ocean guiding, customer service, and aquatic biology professional based in Santa Barbara, California. She began her career in 2022 at Santa Barbara Landing, where she worked in the shop for two years while also gaining experience on dive boats for two seasons and completing her college degree in marine biology. She currently serves as a deckhand with Condor Express Whale Watching, managing vessel maintenance, engine room checks, docking, safety drills, cleaning, and customer service for whale watching charters. In addition, she works as a divemaster with Dive Santa Barbara and freelance dive operations, guiding scuba dives, supervising divers, teaching refresher courses, filling tanks, and participating in citizen science projects. Her background includes deckhand and ocean guide roles on vessels such as the Vision prior to its sale. Aspen attributes her success to her deep curiosity and connection to the ocean, which influences her studies, work, and hobbies like surfing.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Aspen
01What do you attribute your success to?
My curiosity for the ocean. I feel very connected to it and curious about it. It's involved in every aspect of my life, from my marine biology studies to my work and hobbies. It makes me feel grounded and connected to nature.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
It's really important to network, especially in a smaller town like Santa Barbara. Meeting people in person, asking for opportunities and advice, and getting to know the industry by talking to other professionals is key. In maritime and diving, you really have to know the right people to get invited to do things.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Get different tools under your belt, like getting scuba diving certification even without urgency, as it opens doors. Network and be super flexible and go with what feels right. You can incorporate your hobbies into your work and show that women can do hands-on jobs in male-dominated fields.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Customer service can be challenging because we interact with many different people, sometimes up to 100 on a trip, making it hard to be social with everyone. Working long days like 12 hours can make work-life balance difficult, leaving you tired on days off.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Perseverance, especially in dynamic ocean conditions that can be windy, low clarity, cold, or risky with large animals. Trust in yourself and flexibility, as conditions can change and anything could come your way. Being ready as a first responder if something happens.
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