Emi Koch is a surfer, an ocean advocate and a marine mammal trainer, but mainly, she is the sole founder and director of “Beyond the Surface,” a nonprofit in the United States with a mission to eradicate youth homelessness in coastal communities worldwide and empower under-privledged children through the sport of surfing.

Growing up in San Diego, surfing at the ripe age of two-years-old, her goal was to live the life of a professional surfer.
“As the daughter of a former lifeguard, I was introduced to the ocean at a very early age, immediately falling in love," says Emi. "During elementary school, when my classmates thought about becoming doctors and lawyers, all I dreamed about was becoming a pro surfer. I became a competitive surfer and earned sponsorships, eventually signing with a modeling agency."

Just a few years later, Emi was the first girl to be considered to play the role of Bethany Hamilton (a competitive surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack) in the upcoming movie Soul Surfer. Becoming a world famous surfer was Emi's goal...college was not.

That was until her senior year in high school, when Emi's teacher shared a statistic that changed her perspective on what was most important to her: If the world’s population was condensed into a village of 100 people only one of that 100 would have a chance at a college education and own a computer.

Koch realized she was that one person, and she was the one with the power to make a change. She left the West Coast for land-locked Washington, D.C. to study International Relations. But after a few months, Emi felt herself longing for the coastal life again.

"I went back to my roots, taking a year off school to consider professional surfing again, and train dolphins and sea lions with the United States Navy’s Marine Mammal Program in San Diego."

That summer, Emi moved to Nepal to teach English and art classes. It was there she first heard of Skateistan, a non-profit founded by a man who combined his passion for skateboarding with his passion for helping kids in Afghanistan. An idea sparked in her head.

Emi raced home, read "Non-Profits for Dummies" and within months had founded her own social movement, Beyond the Surface, a non-profit that helps homeless children learn new skills and healthy living habits through surfing.

"Beyond the Surface serves as a platform from which these children and young adults can make their needs and dreams known."

Emi sells coffee and beach towels with the help of local San Diego business to fund her efforts, which have taken her around the world to better the lives of homeless children through surfing. But to realize her goals, Emi knew she had to take advantage of that access to higher education. She is set to graduate with a major in psychology in 2012.

"Using animal-assisted therapy with dolphins and sea lions, I want to be a child psychologist who focuses on the powerful connections homeless children in coastal regions can have with the ocean from surfing to interactions with marine mammals. If I can get one global industry to be more socially responsible, then maybe other industries will follow suit."

Read more about Beyond the Surface here.