Hi! I’m Mimi, the UNOLS MATE intern for the September 2026 transit on board the R/V Atlantis. I’ll be in collaboration with STEMSEAS, both as a near-peer mentor for the student cohort, and assisting ChOP fellows and mentors. The goal of this cruise is to train upcoming chief scientists while also giving undergrad students first-hand experience at sea.
I’m a North Carolina native, and studied marine technology at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington. I grew up in the mountains before moving to the coast for school. Growing up in western NC gave me a love for nature and an interest in conservation and sustainability, which I have continued on outside of academia. While in school, I spent many days on the Cape Fear river as a work study student on our research cat, the R/V Martech, learning how to collect and process data with different equipment. I also spent some time offshore on our floating classroom, the R/V Cape Hatteras I’m deeply interested in marine technology as a whole, and I’m excited for this opportunity to be on board this vessel!
I absolutely love the ocean, especially being offshore. In Wilmington, I worked as a sailing instructor and charter mate, which grew my interest in the sea and marine life. I have spent the past year sailing up and down the Atlantic, from Martinique to Halifax, Nova Scotia on various sailing vessels! In my spare time, I’m an avid bookreader, wannabe historian, bird enthusiast, casual hiker and skiier. I love exploring the world and I’m looking forward to this experience!