As a joke, Megan Dickerson conducted a Google search in 2012 for places where she could obtain a “master’s degree in play.”
“I believe that I’m recognized as someone who is lighthearted,” Dickerson stated.
Little did she realize that theUniversity of Gloucestershire located in Englandshe was provided with a master’s degree in play and playwork (previously known as professional studies in children’s play), so she registered and completed her degree.
“As the author Kurt Vonnegut wrote, ‘a plausible mission of art is to simply make people appreciate being alive just a little more,’ and I believe play is similar to that,” Dickerson said.
Due to her master’s degree and her background in working at children’s museums in Boston and San Diego, she was invited to join the Birch Aquarium in 2021, where she now serves as the director of exhibits.
Her responsibility is to guide her team of skilled designers in developing engaging and enjoyable environments where the public can discover information about the Pacific Ocean. Some of these exhibit elements include glow-in-the-dark wallpaper in the newLiving Seasgallery, a penguin disco event at the entrance to the Little Blue Penguins area, the “Embodied Pacific” display, which features interactive experiences created by artists and scientists, and the Riverophilus, a 20-foot-long water system where kids can construct boats from corks and used shingles.
It’s fundamentally about bringing people together at the aquarium, but also about connecting them with the ocean, which is essential for our own survival,” Dickerson stated. “I like to view the ocean as our most impressive display. There are only a handful of aquariums that offer such a remarkable perspective of the seas. And that’s truly what makes our aquarium so thrilling.
What also contributed to this Los Angeles-area native moving to San Diego, through Boston, was her involvement in establishing the program.Museums for All, which enables individuals receiving food assistance benefits (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) to obtain free or reduced-price tickets to more than 1,500 museums across the U.S., including the Birch Aquarium.
It’s likely the thing I’m most proud of in my whole career was being involved in starting that program,” Dickerson said. “I think about all the families we assisted while I was at the Boston Children’s Museum. You would see families coming directly from work, parents still in their work clothes: It was incredible. I’m very passionate about making spaces more accessible and enjoyable. That’s the same thing I love about working at the aquarium.
Dickerson travels to work using her electric bicycle and public transit from Mission Hills, where she has been residing for more than 10 years.
I enjoy the ease of walking,” she mentioned. “We can easily access most of what we need right here in our neighborhood.
Dickerson mentioned that Mission Hills offers numerous grocery stores and dining options, small retail shops, public concerts, a Fourth of July parade, a park, and an annual community yard sale.
Here are her top spots for dining, shopping, and sightseeing in and near Mission Hills.
Q: What is your preferred place to eat?
A:One of the wonderful aspects of residing in Mission Hills is the variety of restaurants that are all within walking distance of our home: ranging from Friday night pizza at Lefty’s Chicago Pizzeria to tasty and humorously named coffee at Meshuggah Shack. We particularly enjoy What De Health Thai, which not only has an entertaining name but also offers affordable and consistently delicious meals. Komatsuya is another hidden treasure, known for some of the finest sushi I’ve experienced in San Diego.
Q: Which small retail business or temporary vendor do you prefer to support?
A:Luxurious Aromatherapy is a small, family-run shop offering organic skincare products and pure essential oils. As you head to Venissimo to pick up mouthwatering cheese (which I also strongly suggest), you’ll catch a faint fragrance of flowers coming from the entrance of Lavish. I strongly recommend the rose petal moisturizing spray and the bakuchi cream.
Q: What is your preferred outdoor area?
A:Pioneer Park is a unique location. A friend and I once held an impromptu theater performance at the playground, and it’s an excellent spot to connect with local residents. In the summer, there are musical events in the park every Friday. My family refers to it as “dead people pizza park” because, first, it was once a cemetery, and second, we enjoy getting Bronx Pizza and eating it there.
A: Where can one find the most exceptional work of art?
A:Janet Zweig’s Climate Clock is prominently displayed on the main wall of the Mission Hills-Hillcrest/Knox Library. Her artwork consists of three landscapes painted on four-foot-wide paper rolls, each depicting a distinct element of San Diego’s climatic future. Over the course of 50 years, these rolls gradually unfurl, powered by motors, in alignment with climate forecasts regarding rising sea levels, extreme temperatures, and drought conditions. The rate at which the rolls unspool is determined by data-based projections from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, which illustrate the evolving state of our planet’s environment. This is a physical depiction of the shift from a stable, familiar world to one increasingly influenced by climate change.
Caption 1 of 4: Visitors view displays in the entrance of the Junípero Serra Museum on Sunday, August 24, 2025, in San Diego, CA. (Zoë Meyers / For The San Diego Union-Tribune) Expand
Q: What is your preferred place for entertainment or a notable historical site?
A:The Junípero Serra Museum, located at the San Diego History Museum in Presidio Park, operates on a donation basis. A recent restoration was carried out in partnership with specialists from the local Kumeyaay tribes. Interactive features such as film projections that display changing day and night scenes on the museum’s windows, along with sculpted seating and expressive design, highlight Indigenous perspectives and create an atmosphere that is both reflective and lively. I enjoy visiting it after a long walk through the area to appreciate the views of San Diego.
©2025 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Go to sandiegouniontribune.com. Provided by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
