Class of 2021

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

Meghan Blaszynski

Hometown: Geneva, IL

University: University of Illinois

Major: Integrative Biology

Mote Program: Coral Health and Disease

Dear Generous Donors,

With this letter I wish to thank you for the incredibly generous financial support through this award. I was elated upon receiving the congratulatory letter!

Currently, I am interning with the Coral Health and Disease project, where the main focus is assessing the physiological impact on corals under heat stress and pH change. My dream has always been to pursue marine biology, and with the pandemic, many of my opportunities were cut short or cancelled. Thanks to your generosity, I have had the chance to participate in this internship program that will allow me to have practical experience in the field.

Receiving this scholarship has further allowed me to capitalize on the opportunities available with this internship and in the Florida Keys. For instance, being from Chicago has not allowed for many opportunities to earn my SCUBA certification, but I plan on getting it here shortly which will only further expand the types of opportunities available to me. Without this stipend, this incredible opportunity would not be possible, and I am incredibly grateful for the financial support!

Sincerely,

Meghan Blaszynski

This is me on the balcony of my dorm at Mote Marine Laboratory in Summerland Key, Florida. I can only hope this is not the only time in my life that I’ll have an ocean view right outside my window!

Isacc Carbajal

Hometown: Raleigh, NC

University: North Carolina State University

Major: Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology

Mote Program: Coral in the Keys

Dear Donors,

Thank you for your generosity helping me to cover some of my expenses while I intern at the Mote Marine Lab. I’ve learned a lot in the past few weeks in the reef restoration program.

Most of my day to day consists of taking care of the corals in what we call “raceways” which are just a collection of 6 saltwater tanks 5 of which have coral in them. Everyday I transfer one tank of corals to the empty tank, just to give the coral some fresher water to be in and so that I can clean the old tank. Additionally I siphon the other 4 tanks to try and maintain their cleanliness before they are eventually transferred.

I’ve also learned some specialized tasks such as coral fragging, which is when we cut corals that have grown to about the size of a quarter, into 6-9 smaller fragments which are then put back into the raceways to grow back out to that quarter size over the course of a few months.

Outside of Mote I’ve been getting experience working with corals out in the field. I dove with Captain Hook’s, a local dive shop that coordinates with Mote to manage and clean field nurseries. I really hope to move my career towards a position that involves more diving, and I really enjoyed the experience of working hands on cleaning staghorn coral trees.

In my free time I’ve been doing a lot of kayaking, a bit of fishing here and there, some reading, and hanging out with the other interns. Right now I’m slated to leave at the end of May but I’ve been thinking about extending until the end of June to get more experience and because I’ve been having such a good time. Thank you again, I’m incredibly grateful to have received this gift

Kathryn Price

Hometown: Fredonia, NY

University: Keystone College

Major: General Biology

Mote Program: Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program: Morning Survey

Hi,

I am Kathryn Price, and I have just recently received the stipend award. I would like to personally thank all of the generous and loving donors.

I am a part of the Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program at Mote Marine Lab. During this internship I am trusted to walk the beach every morning in search of sea turtle activity. Our main goal is to protect any and all sea turtle nests we come across in hopes to increase the survival rates of baby hatchlings. I am two months into my internship, and have roughly another two months left. This internship has already allowed me to learn, not only about sea turtles, but a lot about myself, as well. Being a part of the STCRP program this summer has been such an amazing blessing, bringing lots of memories, knowledge, and people in my life.

I am so grateful to be accepted for this stipend. It will impact me by giving me the money I need for my last two months of rent in Florida before I head back for my senior year of College at the end of August.

Thank you,

and I hope you are having a wonderful summer,

Kathryn Price

Nicole McHugh

Hometown: Parkesburg, FL

University: Coastal Carolina University

Major: Marine Science

Mote Program: Ecotoxicology

Dear donors and supporters,

I would like to thank you for providing financial support to me so I could accept the internship I received from The Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. You have helped me continue towards my dreams in researching Marine Science and Ocean Conservation. I am a rising senior in the honors college at Coastal Carolina University, majoring in Marine Science.

While interning at Mote I have been able to learn so much about Ecotoxicology; specifically liquid chromatography, water extractions, rapid evaporations using nitrogen gas, and analyzing chromotragrophy graphs to assess K. brevis toxin levels in water samples. The coolest part of this experience has been coming to a laboratory everyday filled with extremely intelligent scientists who are just as passionate as I am about studying marine science. The more I dipped my feet in other programs and asked other scientists questions about their projects, I realized just how impactful the studies done at Mote are at uncovering new high points in research. It’s been great to feel a part of a giant army all fighting to save our seas and build projects that intertwine multiple labs to accomplish a specific study.

One of our bi-weekly projects I have worked on are water samples collected from (8) stations along the Sarasota coastline that are extracted to quantify toxin concentrations using an instrument called the LC/MS/MS. The data recorded is distributed to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FFWC) to be posted online so the public can access information on the Red Tide.

I was also fortunate enough to partake in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Snook release within another department. It was very exciting to experience something completely different from my program for a day and learn the ins and outs of measuring Snook, raising them, and the releasing process.

I am now halfway through my internship and can confidently say that getting on a flight to start something completely new and out of my comfort zone has been one of the smartest decisions I have ever made. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to experience this astounding laboratory and dive deep into research firsthand.

Sincerely,

Nicole McHugh

Natasha Jonsef

Hometown: Sarasota, FL

University: University of North Florida

Major: Biology: Coastal Environmental Biology

Mote Program: Animal Rehabilitation

Dear Mote Marine Donor,

My name is Natascha Jonsef, and I was accepted into the Mote Marine Animal Rehabilitation Hospital. I started the internship on May 6th and have learned so much already. Though this internship I will be leaning how to care for sea turtles admitted into the hospital. So far, I have learned how to check the tank water quality, how to food prep for turtles, and how to maintain the environment for each patient turtle.

Currently we have eleven turtles: Heath, Calypso, Molasses, Looe, Kimbae, Raja, Howe, Brewer, Bumble, Diego, and Shelleky. Because of your generous donations, I was awarded a scholarship and will be using it to start my adult life. I graduated from the University of North Florida with a Bachelor’s in Marine Science at the end of April. I am looking forward to beginning the next chapter.

Thank you again,

Sincerely,

Natasha Jonsef

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