Class of 2020

Below you'll find messages and photos from scholarship recipients.

Megan Arp

Hometown: Carrollton, GA

Major: Biology

Mote Program: Eco-toxicology

Dear Donor,

Thank you kindly for your generous donation of $500 towards a scholarship for my internship at Mote. I am forever grateful to have the opportunity to gain important skills and experiences throughout my time here. I am even more grateful for the scholarship I received as it allowed me to stay a month longer than I originally anticipated! I hope you know how truly appreciative I am that you have invested in my future.

Best Regards,
Megan Arp
Mote Fall Internship 2020

Britney Webb

Hometown: College Station, TX

Major: Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

Mote Program: Animal Rehabilitation

Dear Golder Family,

I wanted to extend my sincere appreciation for the scholarship I received from your organization. I am currently interning with the Mote Marine Laboratory in the sea turtle rehabilitation hospital through October, and this opportunity would not have been possible without your assistance. As a first-generation student from a low-income family, I have worked very hard my whole life to support myself while continuing my education. This internship will complete my undergraduate degree, but I had been very concerned about how I would afford expenses during an unpaid internship. Your generosity has allowed me not only to complete my degree, but also visit an amazing city, meet the most incredible group of people, and assist with returning threatened and endangered sea turtles to the wild. This advantage has improved my future prospects and helped me fulfill my lifelong dream of working with marine life. I cannot thank you enough. I hope you enjoy the attached pictures of me experiencing the wonderful world of turtle rehabilitation. I wish you and your family all the best!

Thank You,

Britney Webb

Golder Family Thanks.pdf

Vivian Lee

Hometown: New York, NY

Major: Animal Science

Mote Program: Veterinary Science

Dear Golder Family,

Thank you very much for your generosity in aiding my internship experience at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, even during this troubling time. Your donation is truly appreciated and will help contribute to the costs of my rent and groceries in Sarasota.

I already love my experience at Mote as a Veterinary Service Intern and have learned so much about the field of aquatic veterinary medicine. This opportunity will bring me closer to my ultimate goal of making a significant impact in local communities through research, education, and conservation.

Again, I truly appreciate your generosity and will do my best to represent Mote's values even beyond my internship.

With sincere thanks,

Vivian Lee

Alex Mangold

Hometown: Perkins, OK

Major: Communications

Mote Program: Community Relations & Communications

Alex Mangold.MOV

Elena Waechter

Hometown: Coral Gables, FL

Major: Environmental Engineering and Earth and Ocean Science

Mote Program: Environmental Health

Dear Golder Family,

I am sincerely honored to have been selected as a recipient of the Gilbert Scholarship Fund. My name is Elena Waechter and I am a rising Junior at Duke University. I am double majoring in Environmental Engineering and Earth and Ocean Science and I have a great passion for figuring out sustainable solutions to the challenges that face the Earth and climate.

This summer at Mote, I am working on an aquaponics system that is focused on testing and treating wastewater influent. The aquaponics system consists of freshwater algae and plants as well as snails and shrimp. The first step of the process would be intaking processed wastewater, and the goal of our component is to filter and chemically balance the water so that it could be later used as tap or drinking water. Our system does so by having multiple filters, first a bacteria filter, then it would go in the aquaponics system where the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles would take place and chemically balance the water, and finally it would go through a screen filter and an activated carbon filter to purify the water more. The ultimate purpose for this system is to have it on the International Space Station where it could filter out astronaut waste and provide a renewable source of clean water, but also provide fresh protein for astronauts and limit the need for space food delivery trips.

I am learning a great deal about water treatment and wastewater management and I am so excited and grateful to have had this opportunity. I know this experience will greatly help me in my future goals, not only will the work be similar to engineering work I hope to pursue but also, I have learned so much about my work style and how to cooperate in a team.

I am especially thankful to you in these times as the scholarship has greatly helped me in pursuing an academic endeavor during unprecedented and financially straining events. The scholarship has supported me in these times and has lifted a burden. I am so happy that I am able to pursue my passions without the stress of worrying about income. I think this is especially wonderful as a young student to learn what we are passionate about, and it can only be done if we feel financially secure. I thank you in helping me get there.

I hope you and your loved ones are safe and happy in the pandemic and that this letter finds you well.

If you have any further questions for me or would like to reach out, my contact information is below.

Thank you again.

Elena Waechter

ew162@duke.edu

Hailey Mitchell

Hometown: Gretna, NE

Major: Marine Science-Biology

Mote Program: Sea Turtle Research and Conservation

Hi there!

My name is Hailey and I’m a sea turtle research and conservation program intern with Mote this summer! I graduated from the University of Tampa this past December with a degree in Marine Science-Biokogy. I’ve always wanted to be a marine biologist who gets to work with sea turtles, and thanks to you and your generous donations, you’ve helped make this a reality for me!

My mornings are spent on the beach identifying nests, false crawls, and hatches, as well as rescuing hatchlings that get disoriented and making sure the existing nests stay as safe as they can be! I truly love this internship and I’ve learned SO much information about turtles. This is an amazing opportunity and I’m so grateful for this experience, and I can’t thank you enough for your generosity!

I’ve attached some photos of me with some of my nests, as well as some hatchlings I’ve rescued!

Thank you again for helping interns like me, this internship is hopefully the start to a career full of turtles, and your help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Hailey Mitchell

Julia Tersy

Hometown: Boone, NC

Major: Biology

Mote Program: Coral Restoration

Hello! My name is Julia Tersy and I am on the coral restoration program at Mote Marine Lab in Summerland Key. I wanted to thank you for providing me my scholarship fund! I am very grateful for your generous donation because it has given me the chance to learn about coral research and restoration and get hands-on experience. Most of my work involves daily coral husbandry and aquaculture maintenance duties. I have learned hands-on propagation of corals using Mote’s micro-fragmentation technique to increase the number of corals we can grow in Mote’s land-based nursery. I would not be here if it was not for your donation so I would like to thank you again! I hope you are staying healthy and safe during this time!

Amanda Mertens

Hometown: Inver Grove Heights, MN

Major: Biology

Mote Program: Coral Restoration

Dear Golder Family,

I wanted to thank you for the scholarship you funded that greatly assisted me financially. I am from St. Paul, Minnesota so without your generosity I would have never been able to have an experience like this one. I am on the reef restoration program in Mote’s Florida Keys location so I have been working directly with the coral at the facility to care for them until they are outplanted in the reef. Each morning I clean my designated tanks and check up on each coral to ensure it is healthy and then I perform other tasks such as fragmenting or preparing coral for outplanting. A few weeks ago I organized and prepared 300 corals for outplanting and I have begun preparing the next batch of outplants. I have also started a small study that compares the growth rates of corals that are fed versus those that are not fed to see if food supplementation can significantly increase coral growth over time. I just graduated from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa as a Biology major and Environmental Science minor so this internship will help me gain valuable experience needed to enter the marine biology field. I hope to be able to find a more permanent job after this internship relating to coral or other marine creatures before possibly attending Grad school. Again, thank you for the scholarship you provided that allowed me to move across the country to follow my passion. Have a great rest of your summer and stay healthy.

Thank you, Amanda Mertens

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