With a new education season about to start up, we have six new interns – Ari, Hailee, Jon, Lauren, Megan, and Thomas – joining us! Read on to learn more about them and their passion for marine science!
Ari was raised in Connecticut and studied Animal & Marine Science at Eckerd College. She always knew she wanted to work with animals, but on a vacation to Florida she realized she wanted to learn more about the ocean and the animals that inhabit it. Throughout college, her passion for marine life skyrocketed as she got SCUBA certified and spent all her time in the water. For her last internship she worked for US Fish & Wildlife Service. There, she focused on the surveying for the endangered New Mexico Meadow Jumping Mouse, initiating her specific interests in conservation & education. She’s very excited to be here for the upcoming season where she can merge both of these passions. She’s also excited to explore all that the Florida Keys has to offer with her fellow interns!
Hailee Schalwig was born and raised in Minnesota, but has been passionate about marine biology from a very young age. She grew up swimming, fishing, and boating in the land of 10,000 lakes and was always fascinated by fish, turtles, frogs, and anything else she managed to catch. In May of 2023, she graduated from Florida Southern College in Lakeland with a degree in marine biology and environmental studies and minors in english and communication. During her undergraduate career, she studied abroad at Bimini Shark Lab in the Bahamas and worked as an environmental educator at a local nature reserve, which solidified her passion for education and outreach. After graduating, she spent a year living in Taiwan as a Fulbright english teaching assistant, where she got scuba certified and explored the marine environment in 5 different countries. Hailee is very excited to be back in the Sunshine State and can’t wait to share her knowledge and passion with students this education season!
Jon hails from Buffalo, New York. He attended Unity College for a degree in Marine Biology. His love for marine science stems from his childhood spent outdoors, with fishing being one of his cherished pastimes. Those memories have fueled his passion for marine science, as it combines his love for nature with the opportunity to explore and understand the mysteries of our oceans. He can’t wait for this upcoming education season at Pigeon Key!
Lauren was raised in Benson, North Carolina and she loved animals and the ocean from a young age. Her family frequently took weekend trips down to Wrightsville beach when she was little and one of her favorite parts was trying to dig up little creatures like sand fiddlers at low tide. After high school she went to Colorado state university where she majored in animal science. While she loved the mountains, she is very excited to have made her way back to the ocean where she can continue to learn about animals and their ecosystems and share her love of wildlife and the ocean with others!
Megan was born and raised in Clearwater, Florida, where her love for the ocean has been strong for longer than she can remember. This passion led her to Eckerd College, home to a nationally recognized marine science program, where she earned a bachelors degree in marine science with a concentration in marine geology. During her studies, she had the opportunity to immerse herself in Florida’s diverse ecosystems, gaining hands-on experience in identifying the species that call these habitats home. This experience deepened her understanding of the vital need for conservation and the preservation of marine environments. As her passion for the ocean grew, she was inspired by the transformative power of nature-based learning, which eventually drew her to Pigeon Key. She’s excited to share these enriching experiences with children from all over, helping them connect with and appreciate the natural world.
Thomas is from Edina, Minnesota. He graduated in May 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in Biology from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. He has always loved the outdoors. He grew up fishing and camping in Minnesota but always was fascinated by the animals of the ocean. He loved going to the aquarium and learning about marine species from reading books. He got his first experience snorkeling in the Bahamas during a study abroad opportunity during his junior year of college. He was blown away by the beauty of the reefs but also realized from talking to the locals that reef health has been declining rapidly. This experience sparked a career goal to be involved in marine conservation. He has been scuba certified and completed many dives since then and that has only deepened his connection to marine life. He loves the relaxing nature of diving and the fact that you never know what you are going to see on a dive.
We all can’t wait for the 2025 education season to start soon, and we hope it’ll be yet another year of fun in the sun!
