Maureen Hayden ’21 has always had her sights firmly set on a career as a scientist and the possibilities that lie ahead. After all, for the longest time, it was about the only thing she could see clearly.

Hayden, a graduate student at Texas A&M University working toward her doctorate in marine biology, is legally blind. She was born with retinopathy of prematurity, an eye disorder that primarily affects premature infants. Because the retina in her right eye is completely detached, the vision Hayden does have is limited to her left eye and clinically classified as 20/400.

Navigating through her day-to-day responsibilities studying the effects of plastic pollution on Texas beaches as a member of marine biologist