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Biography 

Holly Harrison, the daughter of a dentist and an office clerk, was raised in a nice, quiet suburban neighborhood of Oceanside, California. The Harrison family wasn’t fabulously wealthy but they weren’t struggling either. Holly and her older sister rarely went without, their parents believing it was important to indulge the both of them in whatever activities they found fascinating. Holly’s interests always swayed toward the ocean. She loved going to the beach to play in the waves, build sandcastles or snorkeling. She also loved to read and learn about the ocean and marine life. Because she was always so curious, wanting to know everything she could possibly know, her parents had high hopes for her future.

In high school, Holly’s interest in the ocean continued but it wasn’t the only thing that consumed her. She was always a happy, optimistic and social person. She was always on the Honor Roll, a member of the cheerleading squad, the National Honor Society, and the Marine Biology Club. On top of her school work and extracurricular activities, she spent her weekends and Summers at the local pool, working as a Lifeguard. Because she was always so dedicated to her studies and the clubs she was a member of, everyone assumed she’d go to college and become a Marine Scientist or something else along those lines. So when, four months before her high school graduation, Holly announced she wasn’t going to college and actually planned on moving to San Diego and then “figuring out the rest later”, her family was shocked and a little angry. She never understood why though since never in her life did she tell them that she wanted to go to college. She liked to learn new things, sure. But she didn’t really care for school that much. She preferred finding stuff out on her own.

Eventually her parents calmed down and even helped her with her move to San Diego. For the first few months, they paid for everything; rent, groceries, car insurance, even extra spending money in case she wanted to go see a movie or buy new clothes. But once she got a job at SeaWorld, she started to rely on them less and less until finally, the only money they give her is for birthdays and Christmas.