We’re proud to work with all of these wonderful interns who have helped shaped our programs and have learned some valuable skills along the way. If you are interested in applying click here.
What our interns have gotten out of this program. Read for yourself:
“This program has given me the opportunity to observe and contribute to different roles within the organization. I have rotated around different duties including research, technical writing, use of petitions to gain supporters and spread awareness, social media, admin work, and creating materials for public education and outreach.”
“I have built lasting relationships within this program with my mentors and fellow interns.”
“I have acquired new skills and experiences. I contributed to the creation of petitions that will be sent to government officials. I learned how to write articles that appeal to the public.”
“I was able to communicate with well-known shark scientists about their writing, current research, and line of work.”
Intern Wall
2024
Emmanuel Ballif
I’m a french marine biology & coastal ecology student at the University of Plymouth (UK), fascinated by anything ocean-related, especially shark & ray ecology, fisheries and behaviour, on which I want to develop my career. I’m involved in several charities in the UK and France, like the Rock Pool Project or Devon Wildlife Trust, with whom I engage people with the marine environment to raise awareness across the general public. I’m also helping ELMO with their eggcase data entry, and am working on scientific publications with the GPER, a french shark research group. With Shark Angels, I’m writing articles, which allows me to develop my science communication skills, and gets me to research on species I love!
Outputs: Monthly Chomps
Lani Knox
I am a content writer and SEO specialist based in Manchester, UK. My interest in sharks comes from a general and lifelong fascination in the ocean. When I was little, my parents could never get me out of the sea, and even nicknamed me ‘fish’. Through enjoying the ocean, I naturally wanted to conserve its resources and the creatures that call it home. At university, where I studied Hospitality Management, I wrote a paper about the shark fin trade. This spurred my desire to aid in shark conservation. That’s when I found Shark Angels!
Outputs: After Bites Shark Quizzes
Kirsten Careccia BSN, RN
I was raised in Tampa, Florida and have been fascinated by sharks since I was in elementary school. I was always the one in the water while everyone was laying out at the beach. Recently, my husband and I moved to Georgia and I volunteer at the Georgia Aquarium, in addition to creating content at Shark Angels. I am SCUBA certified and hope to join the aquarium’s dive team one day. I currently work as a Neonatal ICU Nurse. One day, I hope to make a difference for sharks as much as I make a difference for our small babies! I want people to see sharks as the beautiful and misunderstood creatures they are!
Outputs: Friday FinFact Shark TikToks
Liel Shachr
I grew up on the Florida coast, but fell in love with sharks the minute I got my first shark book at 2 years old and could look at all the pictures of these amazing creatures. My fascination grew into an understanding and admiration. I knew I wanted to devote my life to protecting sharks and the ocean. I discovered Shark Angels in fifth grade, dreaming of the day I’d be able to work with them. Now, that dream has come true! Currently, I study Natural Resource Conservation and Political Science at the University of Florida. My goal is to advocate for sharks and other marine wildlife through research and policy.
Outputs: Monthly Chomps
Riya Kannon, college student at North Carolina State University studying professional writing (journalism)
I am a journalist and student at NC State University, studying finance and English. Having grown up in North Carolina, I’ve frequented the coast since I was a baby. I developed a love for marine life, particularly sharks, at a young age and am highly involved in marine conservation efforts. I am grateful to Shark Angels for letting me combine my interest in writing and journalism with my passion for sharks!
Outputs: Shark Fact Graphics
Greer Jessie, college student at University of Florida majoring in biology with an anthropology minor
I have lived in Florida my entire life, and have always had easy access to the beautiful beaches here. I have loved the ocean from a young age; if you ever find me at the beach, I’m most likely in the ocean jumping into the waves. I got certified to SCUBA dive a few summers ago, and it gave me an entirely new perspective. It was so peaceful and I had never felt more connected to the ocean before. That experience made me realize how passionate I was about the marine ecosystem, and I want to do everything I can to help conserve it. I wanted to get involved in the marine science sphere, and that’s when I found Shark Angels! I love writing, so it was a perfect fit.
Outputs: Monthly Chomps
Candace Drabeck, student at Everglades University majoring in Marine Resources and Management
I have always loved sharks, but I realized my genuine passion for them after surface cage-diving with great whites at Guadalupe Island, Mexico. This trip inspired me to go back to school so I could obtain a degree which would allow me to work in conservation, protecting our sharks, the ocean, and other endangered species. I volunteer cleaning up areas along local creeks, marinas, and parks, and will soon be assisting in water quality testing. It has become my dream to work with sharks, and I am so excited to have found and to have been given the opportunity to work with Shark Angels! Sharks are amazing, but they are also essential for a healthy planet, and it is my personal mission to help people understand and appreciate them exactly as they are!
Outputs: Marketing, Social Media, Research
2022
Jetty Porter, Undergrad Student, University of Miami RSMAS & Intern
Jett (they/them) is from Margate, FL and is currently a sophomore at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science studying for a BS in Biology and Marine Science. They fell in love with studying and protecting sharks at a young age, growing up around the South Florida beaches. This love only grew as they continued to study and volunteer for various conservation organizations throughout high school and college. They have most notably volunteered with shark tagging at both the University of Miami’s SRC and Nova Southeastern University. In their spare time, Jett lifeguards, SCUBA dives and participates in local environmental and social activism.
Outputs: Monthly Chomps, Infographics
Taylor Jagolinzer, Undergrad Student, University of Miami RSMAS & Intern
Taylor (they/them or he/him) is a junior at the University of Miami majoring in Marine Science and Biology. He discovered a passion for shark research while interning with the research organization Field School during a gap year. They now study amino acid compound-specific isotope analysis in elasmobranchs under the supervision of staff researcher Dr. Hilary Close, with the hope of developing more accurate methodology to determine feeding ecology and trophic positioning in sharks. He hopes to continue combining his conservation and social advocacy efforts into science communication and policy work in the future.
Outputs: Friday Facts, Tiktoks
2021
Mckenna Hardie, B.S. Grad Student, FL Tech, Grad student Jacksonville University
I was born and raised in a small town called Thurmont, Maryland. Before I headed off to Florida for college I got my Open Water and Advanced Open Water Diver certification from PADI. I am currently a senior at Florida Tech where I am majoring in Marine Biology and minoring in Psychology with a focus on animal behavior. I have always adored sharks and all things ocean. I knew I wanted to be a voice for sharks when I realized that most people didn’t see them as beautiful or fascinating, but instead labeled sharks as monstrous people eating machines. I want to use my passion to get people interested in sharks in hopes that they grow to appreciate and love them like I do. Hopefully this love fuels a fire in people to take action in the fight to help sharks. Jacques Cousteau said it best, “People protect what they love”.
Outputs: Shark science communications, Monthly Chomps, Petitions, Legislation, Kids Corner, Outreach, Shark Personality Quiz
Carly Walker, undergrad student, Seminole State College
What started as a summer interest turned into a lifelong passion. Carly’s been writing notebook after notebook of shark facts and at every opportunity explains their importance in the environment. She’s currently studying marine biology where she will specialize in sharks.
Outputs: Shark Science Communications, Shark Quizzes, Friday Facts
Sophie Maycock, BSc(Hons) MSc Specialist in Shark Behaviour & Conservation, Ireland
Sophie has been obsessed with sharks since volunteering for a great white ecotourism company in South Africa in 2008. Having completed her degrees at UEA in the UK, Adelaide University in Australia and Leiden University in The Netherlands, Sophie now lives back home in the UK, where she works as a free-lance scientific researcher. She specialises in shark behaviour and conservation, and has a flair for advanced statistical modelling. She is also passionate about communicating science to the general public and joined the Shark Angels in 2021, as a science communication writer. She also volunteers as a science writer for several NGOs and runs her own website, SharkSpeak. Her life goal is to change people’s perceptions about sharks, with the view to gaining public support for shark conservation on a global scale.
Outputs: 365 Daily Bites, Shark Facts for social media
Jackie Reuder, grad student
Jackie is originally from Medina, Ohio where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from the University of Akron. She fell in love with sharks when she did an internship in Mossel Bay, South Africa working with white sharks. She is currently at the end of receiving her Master’s in Marine Biology from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida tracking lemon sharks, and is hoping to graduate this August. In her spare time she is an avid diver currently working on becoming an instructor to teach others of the beauty beneath the waves.
Outputs: Monthly Chomp, Shark Science Communications
Jessica Schieber, grad student, Nova Southeastern University
I am a marine biologist from central Florida and I have an obsession with sharks, my favorite being the mako shark. I went to school in south Florida at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) where I earned my Bachelors degree in marine biology and am finishing my Masters in marine science with a concentration in marine fisheries. I currently study the age and growth of the yellow stingray (Urobatis jamaicensis) in south Florida. I have been cage diving with white sharks and cannot wait to do it again! As a passionate shark lover and researcher, I am ecstatic to join Shark Angels and promote awareness and conservation of sharks!
Outputs: Mako Shark Science Article
Caroline Lynam, Postgrad student, Marine Biologist, Ireland
Growing up by the sea in Dublin, Ireland I have always been fascinated by marine life. Having completed my undergraduate in Marine biology at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, I am now coming to the end of my Masters programme down at the University of Exeter, Cornwall, England. My interests lie in understanding the spatial and social ecology of sharks, understanding where they are and why. I am passionate about marine conservation and it is my life ambition to share my love for sharks with others and to dedicate my research to better understanding and protecting them. I am an advocate for celebrating all the amazing elasmobranch species we have in Irish and British waters (which is surprisingly a lot). I am an avid diver and cannot wait to get out diving with sharks. My current research is looking for evidence of non-random associations between white sharks off the coast of South Africa. I am delighted to be joining the Shark Angels team and can’t wait to share my passion for sharks and inspire more people to love these amazing animals.
Outputs: Basking Shark Science Communication Article