Introducing the 2026 Spring Semester UNCW Interns!

Left to Right: Kayla, Callyn, Tessa, Syd, Rachel, Melana, Maya, Allie. Not pictured: Audrey, Ryann.

Just in time to help with a busy cold-stun season, our 2026 Spring semester UNCW interns have arrived! On behalf of everyone here, especially the Saturday Team, we are grateful for each and every one of them. Welcome!

Allie W: Hi, my name is Allie. I am a senior majoring in Environmental Science with a minor in Marine Biology. I am from Kent Island, Maryland. I chose to intern at KBSTRRC because of my passion for sea turtles and wildlife rehabilitation. I enjoy observing the rehabilitation progress of these incredible animals and hope to continue working in this field in my future career.

Audry C: Hi! My name is Audrey and I am from Charlotte, NC. I chose the KBSTRRC internship because I am really passionate about helping marine animals, especially sea turtles. I want to focus my marine biology career on rehabilitation, and I am excited to learn how to care for sick or injured sea turtles, and hopefully make a difference in their recovery.

Callyn C: Hello, my name is Callyn, and I am a marine biology major at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Originally from Memphis, TN, I grew up in North Carolina. I chose to pursue the KBSTRRC internship because it offers a unique opportunity to work hands-on with endangered and threatened sea turtles while applying the knowledge I have gained from my coursework and laboratory experiences. Through this experience, I hope to strengthen my practical animal care and husbandry skills, deepen my understanding of sea turtle conservation, and gain valuable experience that will help prepare me for a future career in marine wildlife conservation and research.

Kayla P: Hello I’m Kayla P from Durham, NC. As a marine biology major at UNCW I have a strong passion for marine animal rehabilitation and husbandry. With a lifelong love for marine mammals and sea turtles, after watching Dolphin Tale as a kid, I hope to one day find a career in rehabilitation, animal husbandry, or researching behavior and cognition. Taking my first steps towards my goals through my internship with Karen Beasley Rescue and Rehabilitation Center I look forward to working with all of the patients at the KBSTRRC this spring and learning the behind the scenes care and skills that it takes to rehabilitate and get these turtles ready for release! From feeding the turtles to doing laundry, I’m excited for every priceless experience this internship has to offer.

Malena G: My name is Malena, and I am originally from Asheville, North Carolina. I am currently a Biology major concentrating in Pre-Veterinary Studies and minoring in Business at UNC Wilmington, where I am pursuing my academic and professional goals with a strong interest in animal health and the goal of going to veterinary school. This passion led me to apply for the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center internship. I wanted to do this internship because of its commitment to hands-on learning and its role in sea turtle rehabilitation and conservation. I am excited about the opportunity to gain practical experience and learn from professionals who have dedicated years to rehabilitation and rescue, and working with sea turtles. By completing this internship, I hope to deepen my understanding of rehabilitation, build meaningful professional connections, and gain valuable hands-on experience that will prepare me for a future career working with animals.

Maya W: My name is Maya. I was born in Columbus Ohio and raised in Morrisville North Carolina. I graduated high school at Cary High and applied to school at Wake Tech Community College shortly after. I was in community college for about two or three years before graduation then I transferred to UNCW in January 2025 as a marine biology major. I graduated with an associates in psychology in December 2024. I applied to this internship for the experience and to help add qualifications to my resume. In the past I've worked in animal shelters, veterinary clinics, and pet boarding warehouses. I originally saw this opportunity posted outside of the main lecture room in Dobo Hall.The internship was listed on the bulletin board. It caught my attention and I became really interested in working at a sea turtle rehab. By the end of this job/internship I’ll have more insight of how animal hospitals work, how they treat and feed the patients and providing care and medicine.I’m also hoping to gain more self discipline by the end of this course.

Rachel S: My name is Rachael, I am from a small town called Windham in New Hampshire. I grew up going between the mountains and the beach and enjoy being outside in nature. I have always loved animals and wanted to be a marine biologist as a child. My family moved to North Carolina and I decided I wanted to go back to school and I really wanted to pursue a degree that would allow me to help the environment and possibly work with animals. When I heard that the sea turtle hospital had an internship I was excited by the idea and chose to apply. I grew up going to the New England Aquarium and the sea turtle there was my favorite. I loved the idea of getting to work up close with these beautiful animals and contribute to their conservation in a meaningful way. What I hope to get out of this internship is experience working hands on with animals and a better understanding of sea turtles and conservation as a whole.

Ryann W: My name is Ryann. I am currently a senior at UNCW and I am majoring in marine biology. I grew up in a very small town in central Illinois, but moved to Wilmington for school to study all things ocean related. I chose the KBSTRRC internship because sea turtles are my absolute favorite animal and I am very passionate about conservation and rehabilitation. With this opportunity I hope to gain valuable experience in the field of rehabilitation and do my best to educate the public on conservation efforts. The professional exposure and education from this opportunity would be extremely beneficial to my future in this field. I am very thankful to be here and look forward to all there is to learn!

Syd C: My name is Syd and I am from Exeter, NH which is a decent size town about 10 minutes from the beach, which is what started my love for marine biology. I grew up going to the beach with my family and spending hours playing in the water but most of my time was spent looking through tidepools. I graduated from Exeter High School in 2022 and spent my first two years of college at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. I could only study biology at this university, which was a big deciding factor for me when I finally decided to transfer. My third year of college was when I started at UNCW, where I am now majoring in marine biology and playing softball. Choosing to participate in the KBSTRRC internship was an extremely easy decision for me. Before this my only relevant experience was my Aqualogic internship where I harvested invasive milfoil plants, so I knew this would be an invaluable opportunity for me to gain key experience and skills to help shape my future. Another aspect that made me really want to take part in this internship was my friend Kassie who was an intern here last spring. She gave me a tour of the facility which was my first time here and it made me realize even more this was something I wanted to be a part of. I hope to gain vital experience from this internship that will help me hone in my skills to what I want to do in the future. I also hope to strengthen friendships with my fellow interns.

Tessa M: Hello! My name is Tessa, and I am currently a senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) majoring in Marine Biology. I am originally from Hopatcong, New Jersey, which is quite far away from the ocean, but I have always been deeply fascinated by marine life and ocean ecosystems. Although my interest in the ocean began at a young age, my passion truly solidified when I visited the Dolphin Research Center in Marathon, Florida. That experience confirmed that I wanted to pursue a career working with marine animals. Due to my strong interest in rescue and rehabilitation, I chose the KBSTRRC internship to gain hands on experience helping marine animals in need. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be part of a team dedicated to rehabilitating sea turtles and working toward their successful release.Through this internship, I hope to expand my knowledge of the rehabilitation process and build a strong foundation for a future career in marine animal rescue and rehabilitation."

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