When you think of scuba diving, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? Is it the beach? The sand? Or maybe a cute instructor on a permanent vacation? Whatever it was, I’ll bet you weren’t thinking of central Illinois, let alone our campus! Kara Potthast, however, is here to bring vacation to you. As an intern and a co-leader for Professional Association of Diving Instructors, or PADI, she is able to bring this tropical world to the snowy banks of Champaign.
HC: What exactly is it that PADI does? Are there certain events that they sponsor on campus?
PADI is the largest diver training organization and recreational diving membership in the world. PADI Americas recruits student representatives at colleges across the U.S. and Canada to be PADI X marketing interns. Our job as interns it to create our own marketing campaign to test on our local campus to raise awareness of the sport and promote scuba dive certification. Once a semester we put on a Discover Scuba Dive event where attendees get the opportunity to put on scuba gear and experience breathing underwater for free. We hold this at the ARC indoor pool. We also had a “Get Tanked Under the Sea” party that was held in KAM’S basement.
HC: What is your position in PADI?
I’m a PADI X intern. I promote getting scuba dive certified on campus. There are 1 to 2 interns from approximately 22 state universities across the U.S.
HC: How did you come to get involved with PADI? How can others get involved?
An ex-boyfriend scuba dived and wanted me to get certified so we could go diving together, so I looked up getting open water certified on campus and I found the PADI X internship. It’s unpaid, but the interns are flown out to California to get certified free of charge. Those who want to be involved with the internship can apply through Ashley Atkin, who is the marketing coordinator for PADI Americas, or get in contact with me. If someone wants to be in the Diving Illini club on campus or get certified he or she can also contact me!
HC: What else are you involved with on campus?
I’m a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority and president of the Diving Illini. I also am a sales associate at TCF Bank, U of I’s official banking partner.
HC: How do you manage to juggle everything?
The internship is very flexible, which helps a lot. I make my own schedule and my own deadlines, so I can fit it around my work and class schedule.
HC: What is your favorite thing about scuba diving?
There is a completely new world underwater! It’s the most exciting thing I have every experienced and I think everyone should try it once in his or her life. It’s so cool that you can breathe underwater and swim along with all the marine life. It’s almost as though you’re a fish yourself! Learning how to use your underwater compass and navigating around such a huge place that you have never been before is so incredible!