Southern Utah University Graduation 2017

I graduated from Southern Utah University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology/Zoology with honors, Summa Cum Laude. I was privileged to have many family and friends present to see me walk in the ceremony. I felt very loved and honored, even by my professors in the Biology Department who gladly offered hugs over handshakes. It is because of those professors that I am on the path that I am today. My little league baseball coach, now a long term friend, was also in attendance and noted how I held up the line more than anyone due to the many hugs offered by the biology faculty. I am so grateful to the amazing people in my life who have taught me, coached me, and raised me. My mother and father have been there supporting and encouraging me all along the way. As wonderful as it was to have so many people with me this day, there was one who I wish could have been there. My Grandfather, Walter Toone, passed away a year ago, but remains a positive and encouraging figure in my life. I enjoyed being able to share information with him of what I was learning in my classes and was impressed by his desire to learn and understand a variety of concepts. He motivates me to excel in learning and is a prime example of the Southern Utah University motto; Learning Lives Forever. Because of his example and those of so many others, I want to continue learning throughout my life. This was an early step in the direction of lifelong learning, however there will be more to follow!

International Sea Turtle Symposium 2017

I was privileged to attend the 2017 International Sea Turtle Symposium in Las Vegas, Nevada. This trip was associated with my Capstone Conservation Biology course. It was a beneficial experience for me to attend and meet professional biologists. Sea turtles are a growing interest of mine of late. This interest stems from a book that I have recently purchased titled Saving Sea Turtles, written by James R. Spotila. I found this book on a trip to San Diego with the Biology Department last Fall. I did not know at the time, but my professor of Conservation Biology, Laurie Mauger, was a graduate student of Spotila. At the conference, she was able to introduce me to him and other notable sea turtle biologists. Having met with these professionals, I am even more excited about applying for a volunteer position with their organizations. There are three locations that I am looking into; Costa Rica, Bioko, and Mozambique. I feel like it would be an incredible experience to work on sea turtle conservation in any of these locals. It would be a great building block in becoming a well rounded biologist with valuable field work and unique research opportunities. Experiences that I can one day share in a classroom setting as I pursue a career in being a professor of biological studies.