Brittany Arvizu pounded the streets of Waikiki on Saturday and Sunday, handing out fliers that ask people to like her on Facebook.
She’s hoping to win a contest that will pay her $100,000 for six months’ work in an exotic locale.
The scuba instructor with Dive Oahu just got notice that she is one of 25 finalists in Tourism Australia’s "Best Jobs in the World" contest, which drew 50,000 applicants from around the world.
"I feel very blessed to have made it this far and to be part of something so big," said Arvizu, who has a bachelor’s degree in marine biology and plans to get her master’s degree in zoology at the University of Hawaii. "The competition is pretty fierce. It’s not going to be easy."
The contest offers six jobs: Outback adventurer; park ranger in Queensland; lifestyle photographer in Melbourne; food reviewer in western Australia; "chief funster," reviewing festivals and events in Sydney; and wildlife caretaker in southern Australia.
The 25-year-old Moiliili resident, a Pasadena, Calif., native, submitted a 30-second video saying why she should get the wildlife caretaker job. The website describes the job duties as follows: "Wake up the kangaroos. Swim with dolphins and sea lions. Explore Kangaroo Island."
She discovered she was on the short list last week when she saw the video posted on the Australian government agency’s website at www.australia.com/ best-jobs.aspx.
Arvizu interned at Dolphin Quest in Kahala, is a volunteer at the Waikiki Aquarium, working with monk seals, and has volunteered in Costa Rica, India and the Philippines.
In Costa Rica she was involved in a college study-abroad program, studying sea turtle conservation and tracked the migration of turtles.
In the Philippines she and some dive buddies donated snorkel gear and taught families to snorkel and thrive off the ocean while protecting it.
The top three finalists for each job will be announced May 15. They will fly to Australia in June for an interview before the winners are announced June 21.
If she gets her dream job as wildlife caretaker, Arvizu said, she will collect data and make observations of the wildlife in southern Australia and teach tourists about the animals.
"This is something I’ve wanted to do my whole life," Arvizu said in an interview. "Animals are my passion and marine mammals are my focus."
The current phase of the contest focuses on how well the contestants can draw a following on Facebook and other social media because they will be expected to describe their experiences in Australia to promote tourism.
So this week she will go gangbusters, using social media to get people to support her as well as making appearances in public places around Waikiki and the University of Hawaii. And on Sunday she’ll circle the island by bike, moped, surfboard and on foot — and film it.
"I’m not sleeping till I make it to Australia!" she vows.
Follow Arvizu on Facebook at facebook.com/divewithBrittany or as @bkarvizu.
