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During my Environmental Science Senior Research Capstone, I researched the impact of beaver fecal contamination on water quality in Casco Bay, Maine. Since I only sampled coastal marine sites but beavers are freshwater animals, I expected to find very little – if any – contamination from beavers. I also expected that any contamination detected would be at sites with woodier nearby streams, on days with greater rainfall, or at times with outgoing tides. After collecting and analyzing the data through DNA extraction, microbial source tracking with quantitative PCR, and environmental DNA metabarcoding, I found that beaver fecal contamination was only detected at the woodiest site, where there is likely a nearby beaver dam. Rainfall and tidal patterns had no significant effect on the contamination concentrations, but more data in the future could further clarify this.

I spent the fall semester of my junior year with the School for Field Studies at their Center for Marine Resource Studies in the Turks and Caicos.

During my time there, I not only took classes in and around marine environments that I have always been passionate about, but I also researched local octopus populations with one of my incredible professors. Specifically, I used video analysis and in-ocean data collection to look at how Octopus insularis' population sizes are affected by their predator and competitor abundances.

Contrary to my expectations, I found no significant relationship between these abundances across various sites. Future data collection will work to clarify these findings, as this was the first experiment of its kind in the Turks and Caicos.

During my sophomore spring, I conducted an independent research project as part of my Phenology class.

Phenology is essentially the study of biological change over time, so I chose to research the effect of warming ocean temperatures (due to climate change) on Eastern North Pacific Gray Whale migration.

I compiled and analyzed several datasets to determine the annual mean day-of-year of whale sightings off the coast of Northern California during the spring months.

I then compared these means for each year, but did not find a significant difference in sighting day over time. However, these Gray Whales have been seen in regions well outside their range (eg. the Mediterranean Sea), so while their migration timing may not yet have shifted (as I expected), their geographic range has expanded.

Upon returning from my fall 2024 semester abroad, I joined Colby's Sustainability Department as a Student EcoRep.

My primary goal in becoming an EcoRep was to create a positive impact on campus, thereby giving back to the environment I love, especially through waste management as a member of the EcoReps Waste Team.

One of our major initiatives throughout the past year has been our bottle and can collection program. We have bins specifically designated for empty bottles and cans, which are then taken to our local redemption center each weekend.

Additionally, we have worked with Colby Dining to assess the usage of eco-friendly take-out boxes, and I am looking forward to all that my final semester here has in store.

In the winter of 2025 to 2026, I was a Conservation Education Intern at Boston's New England Aquarium.

As an education interpreter, I taught guests about various animals, tanks, galleries, ecosystems, ocean processes, and more. Many of these conversations also involved discussions on climate change, conservation, and what guests can do to help reduce environmental threats, such as supporting community-sourced agriculture.

Additionally, I often worked in the children's Exploration Station, where I taught young guests about various aquatic animals, such as the freshwater creatures living in the Amazon, as well as the sea turtles that the Aquarium rescues from cold marine waters and nurses back to health.

In the summer of 2025, I worked on the Dining Team at the AMC's Highland Center.

Each day, I prepared a variety of food and arranged the dining rooms for all three meals; I also vacuumed, swept, mopped, and wiped down the kitchen and dining room spaces after each meal. During the meals themselves, I hosted, served, bartended, and otherwise assisted guests of all ages and abilities to enable them to have the best possible stay at the Highland Center.

In July 2025, I was awarded Employee of the Month for these "top-notch" guest service skills, as well as for regularly assisting other departments and for maintaining a calm, positive attitude during busy shifts. 

Through this experience, I got to work with a wide variety people, and I will carry the skills I learned far into my future career.

In the summer of 2024, I worked as an Associate Program Leader at the Sparks Rowing Camp based out of Boston University.

Given the unique experience I had at the Northfield Mount Hermon School Sparks Camp last summer, I was still relatively new to the role of Associate Program Leader: I adjusted to working with 60 campers instead of 20, I learned how to run Camp in the middle of the city instead of on an isolated campus, and more.

I also got to work closely with the campers during training, from assisting the coaches during technique sessions, to driving the "barge" (the boat that many rowers use their first few times on the water), to sitting in the shell with the learn-to-rowers to provide stability while filling an empty seat.

Sparks was once again an incredible experience that taught me so much in so many different ways.

In the summer of 2023, I worked for six weeks at Aloha Camp for girls and nonbinary youth in Fairlee, VT. I was a both a tent counselor and a canoe counselor, so during the day, I facilitated fun activities and taught campers how to canoe, and at night (as well as during free times), I was responsible for the two campers living in my tent with my co-counselor and me.

I initially came to Aloha as a camper five years ago, inspired by two of my cousins, who were both counselors at the time. After two summers of camp, Covid hit and I hadn't been back until this summer.

Not only did I learn a lot about myself as I transitioned to the role of counselor, but I also got to reconnect with old friends and mentors.

All in all, Aloha is an experience I'll never forget.

Also in the summer of 2023 , I worked as an Associate Program Leader at the Sparks Rowing camp located at the Northfield Mount Hermon School.

Unfortunately, because of the unusual amount of rain earlier in the summer, E. coli was in the river and none of the boats could go out; this made my job even more important. Along with the Program Leaders and Coaches, I planned land workouts – from erging (using rowing machines) to cross-training – and info sessions about what it means to be a healthy student-athlete. I also acted as the sole lifeguard during the pool workout.

Sparks is an amazing program that helps young rowers improve their athletic ability and I was so glad to be a part of the program.