Crystal is a South Carolina native, having spent most of her youth in the small upstate town of Belton. As an adult she lived in Georgia, Florida, Arizona, and Washington State, but her love of South Carolina and her family roots brought her home. With two small kids and a dream, she started her college journey in her early thirties. 

Crystal pursued an Associate of Science degree through Piedmont Technical College, while exploring her passion for photography through elective photography classes. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Clemson University in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology in 2018. She continued on at Clemson University studying invasive species in a multi-use forest ecosystem to look at how recreational activities facilitate spread, with a strong focus on human dimensions and recreationist’s motivations. During her work on her Master of Science, Crystal began teaching classes in the Associate in Applied Science Degree of Forestry Management Technology at Horry-Georgetown Technical College in Georgetown, South Carolina. She received her Master of Science in Forest Resource Management in May of 2023. 

Under the guidance of Dr. Jim Anderson (no relation) at the James C. Kennedy Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation Center through Clemson University, Crystal began her Ph.D. in Wildlife Biology. Her studies focus is on the human dimensions of wetland coastal resiliency. She shifted her career focus in December of 2023 and joined the Kennedy Center as a Wildlife Biologist. 

Crystal is a published author, having co-written, “Winter Tree Identification for the Southern Appalachians and Piedmont - a Photographic Guide,” with Dr. Donald Hagan and Hailey Malone. Crystal used her skills in photography to capture all of the detailed images in this beautiful identification guide.