Marcela is a California native who grew up in Southern California. Her love for the ocean began at a young age, spending her summers in the ocean. She pursued her passion at UC Davis where she graduated with a B.S. in Marine and Coastal Science. Within her four years there, she played water polo and gained her first scuba certifications with Bay Island College of Diving. After spending time in Colorado, she went back to Honduras where she completed her PADI Instructor certification in 2021. Since then, she has earned in Master's in Education at UC Santa Cruz, and is now a high school Marine Biology teacher.