From Washington, DC to Rhodes, Greece

Contributor: Emily Nocito, University of Maine graduate supported by Maine Sea Grant and current Knauss Fellow

“You should apply!” my Knauss Fellowship mentor told me in one of our first meetings together. She was referring to the Rhodes Academy of Oceans Law and Policy, a summer program dedicated to the law of the sea. Each summer since 1996, lawyers, academics, practitioners, and students from all over the world apply to attend three weeks of intensive law classes in Rhodes, Greece. I had known about the Rhodes Academy for years – but I would never have the time or financial ability to attend; however, as a Knauss Fellow, I received professional development funds. In terms of the time, my amazing mentor and so many others offered to step in to help cover my work if I was to get in. So, I applied, including a scholarship application to help cover my lodging. 

When I found out I was accepted into the Summer 2024 cohort, elation couldn’t even begin to explain my feelings. I knew I had a long journey and a lot of work ahead of me – classes every day, written and oral exams, all leading (hopefully) to a diploma. I guessed correctly that I would be one of the few scientists there, rather than having a formal, legal background, but, as soon as I arrived, I knew I had found my people – including a former Knauss Fellow! It takes a special type of dedication to travel to Greece in the summer to sit and learn from current and former International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea judges and leading academics in the field of modern law of the sea. Together we would read and study, do in-class activities, eat meals, explore the town, and so much more. The Rhodes Academy staff was amazing – they planned excursions and dinners, and really let us organize activities of interest to ourselves, such as tours of the Old Town or karaoke nights. 

My time at the Rhodes Academy not only led to a better understanding of the law of the sea, but it contextualized it through participants’ experiences and reflections. I was able to listen and learn about how a lot of these principles were operationalized in real life scenarios from people who were involved. I expanded my personal network, and most importantly, made lifelong friends along the way. I look forward to bumping into my fellow 2024 cohort members as I continue my career in the ocean policy space. Some have already met up in the months since we graduated, and I have plans to meet up with others at future conferences and meetings. 

The Knauss Fellowship is such a unique opportunity in and of itself, placing graduates with an interest in ocean, coastal, and freshwater issues into the Federal government. But what really makes it unique to me is the opportunities you are afforded as a Fellow and how many Fellows you run into “in the wild,” and that I was in a position where I was being encouraged by my mentorship team to focus solely on the class offered a huge relief. The assistance from the Maine Sea Grant office in booking my flights was invaluable – I am definitely not a Concur expert, but they made the process easy. 

Posted 14 November 2024