My name is Victoria and I’m from Perth, Western Australia. Growing up near the ocean I’ve always had a love for the water and the ecosystems beneath the sea, and this certainly didn’t stop when I decided to complete my bachelor’s degree in biology at Kenyon College in Ohio. Despite Ohio being landlocked with just a sea of corn in every direction, I had the opportunity to follow my underwater passion when I studied abroad through the marine resource studies program at SFS Turks and Caicos (Spring 2020). I studied the impact of land-based anthropogenic actions on decreased size and age distribution in the queen conch (Lobatus gigas) around South Caicos during my directed research and went on to follow this ocean theme during my senior thesis on cryptic female choice in marine organisms. I got my Advanced Open Water scuba diving certification through SFS TCI, and I hope to put it to good use by diving on the Great Barrier Reef which we are so lucky to be located nearby. I’m also certified through the American Red Cross as a Lifeguard and in Wilderness First Aid.
As a Health and Wellness Manager, I’m excited to create a unique learning experience and facilitate personal growth in students through a hands-on and remote field setting that we have here at Centre for Rainforest Studies Australia. I’ve grown up in Australia but have never experienced something quite like working and living in the rainforest in Far North Queensland (FNQ).