While many girls dream to someday become a dancer or even an astronaut, for Renata Rojas, her desire as a child was to find the Titanic. And even after it was discovered in 1985 by Bob Ballard, that did not stop this diver from "digging deeper" into finding a way to get to the bottom of the ocean to see the wreck with her own two eyes. Renata faced challenges of all sorts over the next several decades including how she could get on an expedition not being a scientist to the financial burden that would come with it. To embark on this journey to the bottom of Atlantic is extremely difficult and dangerous, and to date just over 200 people have been able to add it to their list of accomplishments. For Renata, she knew that of that already small number, just above a dozen of those have been women, so to be able to achieve this would be historic -- bringing honor to her family, heritage, and women everywhere who have been told their dreams are too big or seem impossible.

At the end of January of 2023, I had the opportunity to listen to Renata speak at the Long Island Divers Association's annual Film Festival, where through photos and videos she was able to share her experience through OceanGate Expeditions in 2022, fulfilling a dream that started in her preteens. Her story radiates bravery, passion, and is extremely relatable for so many people that have to work hard at what they want to accomplish, overcoming adversity as well as set-backs and years of patience and never losing hope. We met in April again to do the interview for her story that would air the week of the 111th anniversary of the unimaginable and tragic sinking of the ocean liner. I was moved and inspired in a way as a journalist that reminds us the privilege we have doing what we do through storytelling despite the challenges we face daily in our field. Combining her words, my writing, the power of photography and videography, my female editor, Chelsea Kellogg, was able to weave it all together into this short piece to bring Renata's story to life to inspire and bring confidence to women not just locally, but all over the world. Despite the heartbreaking end to the OceanGate Expedition Titanic trips in 2023, like many who survived Titanic and went on to make a difference despite the negativity surrounding the story of the ill-fated vessel, Renata hopes her narrative will continue to be a beacon of light that no matter how tough it might be or long the wait, anything is possible when you never, ever give up on a dream.