I graduated from the University of South Carolina Honors College in 2007 with a BS in Marine Science and minor in Biological Sciences. The day after graduation I moved to Pritchards Island, SC where I lived and worked on an undeveloped sea turtle nesting beach. In November 2007 I became an assistant scientist for Sea Education Association, teaching oceanography aboard tall ships in both the Caribbean and Pacific. I have returned to land life to pursue a MS in Marine Affairs and Policy under the direction of Kate Mansfield and David Die. My research focuses on the effects of human activity on behavior and survivorship of the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) and the effectiveness of efforts to protect them.