21 Students in Largest Single Summer Internship Cohort

Summer internships for college-aged students were among the educational experiences that were hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. As college campuses around the world shut down, students missed out on opportunities to gain skills in non-classroom settings, network with professionals and mentors, and explore potential career fields.

When the BIOS facility was able to safely re-open in accordance with Bermuda government guidelines, the BIOS Education Department made the decision to increase the number of internship placements available to students this summer.

By combining the popular Bermuda Program (for Bermudian students ages 18 and older) and Marine Science Internship (for students ages 14-16), the Education team facilitated a total of 21 Ocean Academy interns to participate in lab and field-based experiences ranging in length from two to eight weeks. This represents the largest single cohort in the Institute’s history for local summer internship placements.

We would like to introduce you to the 2020 Ocean Academy interns:

Caroline Alexander
20, rising third year bachelor’s student at University of Bristol (England)
First year Ocean Academy Intern
Mentor: Shane Antonition (BAMZ) and Kaitlin Noyes (BIOS)
“I’m participating in the internship this year as I wanted to gain more experience doing lab and fieldwork. The BIOS internship is a very exciting opportunity for me to do both of these things at once.”

K’ari Bean
19, associate of science student at Bermuda College
First year Ocean Academy Intern
Mentor: Samia Sarkis (Living Reefs Foundation)
“I am participating in this internship so that I can see what the life of someone in the field of marine biology is like.”

An Mei Daniels
15, rising senior at Warwick Academy
First year Ocean Academy Intern
Mentor: Rachel Parsons (BIOS)
“I chose BIOS because it is an excellent science facility. I would highly recommend an internship here. The mentors and other interns are patient with you as you learn, and they have a wealth of knowledge to share with you. It was a great learning experience.”

Saxon Davis
18, recent graduate Warwick Academy (Bermuda)
First year Ocean Academy Intern
Mentor: Yvonne Sawall (BIOS)
“I wanted to do this internship because I thought it would be a great way to combine my love for the ocean and biology, while giving me a chance to put the material I learned in biology and chemistry classes to a practical use.”

Jessica Godfrey
20, recent graduate Newcastle University (England)
2018 Bermuda Program Intern
Mentors: Amy Maas (BIOS) and Hannah Gossner (BIOS)
“I have participated in the Bermuda Program before and have always loved the sense of community at BIOS. The mentors are always so helpful and offer great career advice. I hope to pursue a career in research and this internship is the perfect way for me to learn transferable laboratory skills and gain experience in an area I am passionate about.”

Lakshmi Magon
24, recent graduate University of Toronto
2018 Bermuda Program Intern
Mentor: Rachel Parsons (BIOS) and Ali Hochberg (BIOS)
“The opportunity to come back to BIOS, and continue to contribute to research with the Microbial Ecology laboratory whilst also building skills and experience in the science writing, communications, and development environment I hope to make my career in, is invaluable to me. There’s no place I’d rather intern!”

Shannon Mello
16, rising senior at Saltus Grammar School
First year Ocean Academy Intern
Mentor: Yvonne Sawall (BIOS)
“My summer plans fell through [due to the COVID-19 pandemic] and I thought the BIOS internship sounded really interesting. I’m focused on going into a scientific field and, after experiencing the BIOS facilities as part of a school field trip, I wanted to give the internship a try.”

Emma O’Donnell
21, rising senior at Princeton University
2015 Marine Science Internship participant, 2017 Bermuda Program Intern, 2018 Princeton-BIOS Intern
Mentor: Tim Noyes (BIOS)
“I will be using the data collected this summer for my senior thesis, which I am working on in partnership with the BIOS Ocean Academy. I’ve had good experiences with BIOS before and was excited to come back.”

Charlotte Peckett
17, rising year 13 student at Oundle School (England)
First Year Ocean Academy Intern
Mentor: Shane Antonition (BAMZ) and Kaitlin Noyes (BIOS)
“I am participating in this internship because I am considering pursuing biomedical sciences in university. I am also interested in Bermuda’s environment and how plastics affect the island’s ecosystems. I wanted to gain experience by working in the field and labs with professionals and collecting and analyzing data.”

Imogen Peckett,
19, rising first year student at Cardiff University (Wales)
First year Ocean Academy Intern
Mentor: Tiffany Wardman (BIOS)
“I was interested in learning about different projects and visiting interns in the field.”

Alex Quinn-Siera
18, rising first year student at the Royal Veterinary College (England)
First year Ocean Academy Intern
Mentor: Kaitlin Noyes (BIOS)
“I am participating in this internship because I want to gain more lab and report-writing experience to prepare myself for university, as my degree is research-based.”

Nasir Rudolph
18, rising freshman at University of Miami (U.S.)
First year Ocean Academy Intern
Mentor: Matt Enright (BIOS)
“I am participating in this BIOS internship to gain valuable first-hand experiences, which will give me insight into what field of marine science I want to specialize in after college.”

KyAsia Scott-Fishenden
25, rising third year bachelor’s student at Cardiff University (Wales)
First year Ocean Academy Intern
Mentor: Tarik Smith (Koom Consulting)
“I am doing this internship because I believe it is an incredible opportunity to make the connection between university and the working world. It will also allow me to develop professionally and increase my knowledge in the field of environmental science. I am excited to have the chance to work alongside such incredible researchers.”

Brianna Simmons
19, rising sophomore at Roger Williams University (U.S.)
2019 Bermuda Program Intern
Mentor: Yvonne Sawall (BIOS)
“I chose BIOS because I participated in the same program last year and had a great experience. I would recommend this program to someone who is looking to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in the future. This internship definitely gives people a more in-depth look as to what actually goes on within a lab setting and how experiments are conducted.”

Gloria Simmons
18, rising third year student at Mount Allison University (Canada)
First year Ocean Academy Intern via the Chubb Community Service Values Summer Program
Mentors: Amy Maas (BIOS) and Hannah Gossner (BIOS)
“I chose to work at BIOS because I am studying science and I hoped to gain experience in a science lab and see what marine biology research looks like. Everybody I interacted with was willing and excited to explain things to me beyond what I needed to know and explain the bigger picture.”

Zoe Skinner
18, rising second year student at University of Surrey (England)
2019 Bermuda Program Intern
Mentor: Rachel Parsons (BIOS)
“Last year, I had my first in-depth introduction to scientific research while at BIOS. It was due to this experience that I began to pursue a science degree in university. This summer I hope to continue to learn about the ocean and begin to better understand its complexities.”

Jasper Hunt Thomas
17, rising senior at Collegiate School (U.S.)
First year Ocean Academy Intern
Mentor: Robbie Smith (BAMZ)
“I am particpating in the Ocean Academy internship to get a feel for marine biology research, and as a way to see if I want to pursue marine science as a profession. I’ve never really had an experience where I get to work in a field that I care so much about, so that made the internship really great!”

William Welch
18, rising first year student at University of Waterloo (Canada)
First year Ocean Academy Intern
Mentor: Shane Antonition (BAMZ) and Kaitlin Noyes (BIOS)
“Last year I worked with Alex Hunter [former dive safety officer and small boats manager at BIOS] on dive boats. This year I wanted to do something science-based, as I’ll be attending university to pursue an engineering degree. I’m enjoying learning about microplastics, phytoplankton, and the ocean, and I’m sure I’ll come out with a lot more knowledge and experience in the scientific field.”

Amber Wolffe
27, rising senior at Metropolitan State University in Denver (U.S.)
2015 Bermuda Program Intern
Mentor: Mark Guishard (Bermuda Weather Service)
“I decided to return for another internship because I wanted to improve my research skills. Though I had written many research papers over the last 5 years, I still felt that I was lacking in key aspects such as precision and approach. I wanted to enhance the skills I learned and use them throughout this experience to mold myself while gaining the fundamental skills needed for professional development.”

Luke Young
19, rising second year undergraduate at University of Southampton (England)
First year Ocean Academy Intern
Mentor: Eric Hochberg (BIOS)
“I feel this internship not only gives me work experience, which puts me ahead of other students, but also first-hand experience of what it will be to work in this field.”

Treiana Zuill
17, rising junior at Flagler College (U.S.)
2019 Bermuda Program Intern
Mentor: Robbie Smith (BAMZ)
“I’m participating in the Bermuda Program again this year because I genuinely feel it is an amazing opportunity to gain field experience in the environmental sciences.”