Lieutenant Commander Schendorf earned a B.S. (with highest honors) in Marine and Environmental Science from the Coast Guard Academy in 2008. Her first assignment after graduation was as a Deck Watch Officer on USCGC Healy (WAGB-20) in Seattle, Washington. LCDR Schendorf then transferred to USCGC Naushon (WPB-1311) in Ketchikan, Alaska, where she served as Executive Officer for two years before attending graduate school. LCDR Schendorf earned her M.S. in chemistry from the University of Maryland in 2014, and is now a chemistry instructor at the USCGA. LCDR Schendorf’s research at the University of Maryland focused on determining the structural basis for dissolved organic matter in natural waters through their optical properties.