How long have you been at the National Aquarium?
I started volunteering at the Aquarium in the Rainforest exhibit in the spring of 2004. I began volunteering with the marine mammals in the fall of 2004, and was hired on the Marine Mammal staff in May 2005.
When did you know you wanted to work with animals/marine mammals?
I knew I wanted to work with animals the first time I saw a river otter do a waving behavior in a show presentation at Sea World San Diego. I knew I wanted to work with dolphins after doing a research paper on them in high school.
What’s the hardest part of your job? Staying healthy and warm. We are wet and cold for a majority of every day.
What do you love most about your job? Everything! The animals, the work, and the people. I LOVE my job!
Which dolphin do you feel you have a special bond with?
I work the most with Nani, the largest female of the group, who is very easy to love. But I cannot in good conscience say that she has a "special" bond with me. She works well with all of the trainers. I really enjoy working with her, but I also value the bonds I have with all the other dolphins. I feel that I am still building strong positive relationships with them that may lead to an exceptional bond between us sometime in the future.
What is your most memorable experience?
One of my most memorable experiences is swimming with the dolphins in a show while my parents watched from the audience. The other is having my 85-year-old grandfather meet a dolphin and watch me work.
What is the funniest thing that’s happened on the job?
So many funny things happen on a regular basis, it’s hard to pick just one. Our team has a great sense of humor and we have a lot of fun together.
What is your favorite part of training the dolphins?
My favorite part is watching a behavior in training move to completion. It is so exciting, whether it is behavior I am training or someone else has been working on. It’s awesome watching the animals learning, with the result being beautiful behaviors.
If you weren’t working with dolphins, what would you be doing?
I honestly haven’t ever considered that question. I have worked to become a dolphin trainer for many years, and I feel like it is what I am called to do. But if I ever had to leave working with dolphins, I’d seek out other animal training opportunities, like working at a zoo or training dogs.
Did you or do you take any special courses in school that help you with your job?
I have not taken any special courses in school for my job. I was a kinesiology major in college and was planning on becoming a high school P.E. teacher/coach before I started working with animals.
What other project are you in charge of, when you’re not working with the dolphins?
I assist with coordinating regular SCUBA diving of our pools for cleaning. I also mentor volunteers along with other staff members. I recently became involved with a dolphin research study going on in our area.
