29/09/2026
Many congratulations to our very own Vishaka on being selected for Global Underwater Explorers 2027 NEXTGEN Legacy Program! 👏
GUE is a global diving organisation built around education, exploration and conservation. GUE brings together divers, educators, scientists, explorers and conservationists through training and projects around the world. 🌎
Vish learnt about GUE during her time spent cenote diving in Mexico and from that moment her life changed… she found out about the NextGen Scholarship in April and she just knew she had to apply. 🤿 😊
The NextGen Scholarship and Trainee program was developed by GUE as a way to empower the next generation of divers by providing a year of training and other benefits to deserving young divers 21-30 years of age on their quest for excellence.
The NextGen scholars and trainees make up the NextGen Legacy Program (NGLP). This is GUE’s broader community for developing the next generation of project divers and leaders in exploration, diving and the organisation itself. It grew out of the NextGen Scholarship and connects scholars, trainees, past participants, GUE instructors, scientists and other project divers. 🤿
The program aims to create a network of people who can learn from one another, receive mentorship, participate in projects and eventually create their own impact in exploration, conservation, science, education and other areas of diving.
Vish applied in June with an essay, thesis and a 2 min lute ‘Elevator Pitch’ 🎥 video talking about her dive journey, her goals for the scholarship year and why she would be an ideal NextGen Scholar for 2027.
After applying for the GUE NextGen Scholarship, alongside more than 100 divers from around the world, she was not selected as the scholar, but she was honoured to be selected as one of just nine NextGen Trainees — part of a group of exceptional runners-up chosen to join GUE’s NextGen Legacy Program.
The NextGen Legacy Program supports the next generation of project divers through personalised mentorship, training opportunities, diving experiences and opportunities to contribute to exploration and conservation initiatives. As a 2027 Trainee, she’s excited to continue developing her diving skills, particularly in technical and cold-water diving, while working towards her goals in scientific diving, marine conservation and underwater exploration.