I am a highly motivated professional with a strong work ethic seeking opportunities that are exciting yet challenging and will contribute to my educational and professional development. I have the desire to inspire and educate the public about the importance of marine research and conservation. I have experience working at the University of North Carolina Wilmington Center for Marine Science as a research assistant for the Coastal Plant Ecology lab (CPEL). There I have gained field and laboratory skills. Some tasks included processing biomass samples of the local seagrass species and preparing samples to be processed for Carbon and Nitrogen percentage. I did a direct independent study in the Disease Ecology Lab at the University of North Carolina Wilmington Center for Marine Science. While there I assisted graduate students with dissecting fishes (Ladybird and Tarpon), and scallops to be observed for parasitic worms, any worms found were deposited into test tubes for DNA processing. I have worked as a summer camp instructor at MarineQuest. During my time at MarineQuest I was tasked with educating campers about the importance of research and conversation about marine life and the environment. I also provided educational opportunities with hands-on experience that simulates a laboratory setting