As a Coastal Education Intern at the North Carolina Coastal Federation, I helped plan and promote special and re-occurring events, such as volunteer, education, and fundraising events. I worked with staff to develop and implement tools, activities, and events to engage the community at the Coastal Education Center and recruit new members. I also represented the Federation at public events, festivals, and workshops focused on coastal habitat restoration and water quality protection projects.

My main role as an intern at the Plastic Ocean project was to work on various research projects involving microplastic samples. I used FTIR and ATR instruments to quantify and identify plastic types and gained experience in social engagement by assisting in education and outreach events and presenting research. This research is used to help better understand how plastics impact our environment, locally and globally.

As an In-Store Shopper and Cashier for Whole Foods in the summers of 2022 and 2023, I served customers with knowledgeable, friendly support at every stage of shopping and purchasing. I helped customers locate products and checked store systems for merchandise at other sites, shopped orders that customers placed online and delivered to their car at the appropriate time, and organized, labeled, and stored orders based on their appropriate temperature.