Hands-On Learning about Sea Turtles!

This spring, we welcomed 10 interns from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. In addition to learning about turtle care and husbandry, the students practiced their communication skills by teaching the public about sea turtles, and completed a project. One such project - a video about KBSTRRC - appears above.

In their own words, here is an introduction to the KBSTRRC Spring, 2021 student interns.

Back: Olivia, Kim, Morgan, Corrine; Front: Lucy, Victoria, Sierrah, Hannah, Kelsey, Jenna

LUCY: Hi, everyone! My name is Lucy. I am currently a third-year undergraduate student at UNCW. I am majoring in Biology and minoring in Clinical Research. I have grown up spending my summers on the Gulf coast of Florida in Sanibel and Captiva Islands and have fallen in love with ocean conservation and marine life. This past summer, I worked for a marine science education program through UNCW called MarineQuest. I had the opportunity to educate middle schoolers on all things sea turtles and was able to visit KBSTRRC several times. I loved the passion and enthusiasm that everyone at the facility had for their job and knew that I wanted to get involved. I am so excited to be an intern and have the opportunity to make a difference while also gaining meaningful experiences at KBSTRRC! 

KIM: Hi, my name is Kim. I am currently a junior marine biology major at UNCW and an intern at the KBSTRRC. I am from New Jersey and came down to North Carolina for school. After I graduate, I plan on going on to graduate school to get my master's degree. I have always had such a love and passion for marine life and conservation. I am eager to expand my knowledge of sea turtle conservation and rehabilitation!
 
KELSEY: Hi, my name is Kelsey and I am originally from Leicester, Massachusetts and moved to North Carolina in 2019. Since I was a child, I have always been fascinated with wildlife and animals. I have worked in the environmental science field at nature preserves such as Massachusetts Audubon Society and have also volunteered at local animal shelters here in North Carolina. My previous experiences have led me to pursue a degree in biology as an undergraduate at UNC Wilmington. I will be graduating in the spring of 2022 with future goals to attend veterinary school to obtain my DVM. I am very excited to be working as an intern at KBSTRRC this spring and learning about the rehabilitation process of sea turtles!
 
HANNAH: My name is Hannah and I am from Jacksonville, NC. I am currently a junior at UNC-Wilmington, majoring in Marine Biology. My plan is to attend NC State College of Veterinary Medicine and earn my DVM. To gain experience I am currently working at a small animal hospital and now at KBSTRRC to gain experience in marine life. I am thankful to be involved in the KBSTRRC to allow me the opportunity to learn more about sea turtles and how to care and protect them.
 
VICTORIA: Hi! My name is Victoria, and I am a senior at UNCW. I will be graduating this summer with a degree in marine biology and a minor in oceanography. I have always been passionate about marine life and understanding how the ocean affects everything! Being able to give back to the environment and work directly with animals for their benefit is truly inspiring to me. I am honored to be an intern and be a part of such a meaningful project like KBSTRRC. I am most excited to learn about what it takes to rehabilitate the sea turtles and more about their ecology! 
 
REJANA: Hi, my name is Rejana! I am currently an undergraduate at UNC Wilmington majoring in Marine Biology with a minor in Oceanography.  I am very excited to be part of this internship opportunity as I would like to eventually have a career working at a marine mammal rehabilitation center. I am also interested in getting involved with Cetacean research and exploring the ways in which whales and dolphins visually perceive the underwater world. This is my first time working with sea turtles, so I am eager to learn all that I can to help me get one step closer to my career goals!
 
CORINNE: Hi, my name is Corinne! I am a marine biology student at UNCW and I'm so excited to be a spring intern here at the KBSTRRC. Growing up in upstate New York, I was surrounded by lakes but always had a love for the ocean and the creatures that live in it! My dream job is to work at a marine hospital on a rescue and release team, so I knew this opportunity was the perfect fit for me. I am so excited to work with our sea turtle patients and lead tours of the facility! 
 
MORGAN: Hi! My name is Morgan and I am currently a junior at UNCW majoring in Biology and minoring in Spanish. I am from Charlotte, NC and have always been interested in anything to do with animals and as I have grown up my passion has centered around the medical aspect of it. After graduating from here I am hoping to attend veterinary school to get my DVM and possibly specialize in large animal medicine. I have experience working with animals from shadowing in an animal clinic and having the opportunity to return with a short-term paid position as a vet tech. Helping out there solidified my love for veterinary medicine and fueled my interest in exploring additional animal specialties other than general practice. I felt as though I needed to branch out and that is why I am so stoked for this internship and the ability to broaden my experiences working with sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation!
 
SIERRAH: Hey everyone! My name is and I am originally from Greeley Colorado but moved to North Carolina in the summer of 2021! I originally attended school at the University of Northern Colorado for my first two years, majoring in ecology, and then before the start of my third year I transferred to the University of North Carolina- Wilmington, where I am currently getting a degree in marine biology. From the time I was a little kid I have always wanted to work with marine animals; I would always say that I wanted to work with dolphins when people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up. Although I have refined my response to that question now, I still have a passion for working with marine animals and after graduation I hope to be work in the rescue and rehabilitation field of marine biology. Which is why I was extremely eager to get the opportunity to intern at the KBSTRRC and get to explore more of the field that I am interested in!
 
OLIVIA: My name is Olivia, and I am currently finishing up my senior year at UNCW, although I am originally from Pennsylvania. I am studying biology with a chemistry minor. Sea turtles have been my favorite animal ever since I can remember, so I am very excited to be able to work with them each week. This is a great hands-on learning experience that is giving me valuable knowledge and experience to help me further my career in biology and conservation.

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Back: Corrine, Victoria, Morgan; Middle: Kelsey, Sierrah, Lucy, Jenna, Kim; Front: Hannah, Olivia