Nikol Slynkova

Ever since she was a little girl Nikol Slynkova has been fascinated by the sea and its marine life, but there were very limited opportunities to explore those wonders growing up in a landlocked country like the Czech Republic.

Undaunted, Nikol took advantage of seaside family holidays and every trip to the ocean in search of aquatic adventure. By the time she started high school Nikol had to elect her future vocation, but with marine science unavailable as an option she chose the closest thing she could find to it, which was to study as a “chemical operator for pharmaceutical production”.

It was only after her Mum had visited a friend on the Gold Coast that Nikol heard about Griffith University and that its curriculum included a degree in marine biology. Not only did Nikol jump at the chance, she embraced everything that the Gold Coast and university life had to offer, including the Griffith Mates and Mayor’s Student Ambassador programs.