Get to know the Fall 2025 TESI team, the people creating the programs and content you love.
Alise Cross, Content Specialist
Born in Westwood, NJ
Favorite wild animal: meerkat
Pearl of wisdom: Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.
Carla Ruffer, Communications Manager
Born in Memphis, TN
Favorite wild animal: cheetah
Pearl of wisdom: Never take a nap after 4:00 pm.
Mariela Pajuelo, Assistant Scientist
Born in Lima, Peru
Favorite wild animal: sea turtle
Pearl of wisdom: El que no Ilora, no mama.
Megan Ennes, Director & Associate Curator of Museum Education
Born in Valparaiso, IN
Favorite wild animal: sea horses
Pearl of wisdom: It’s going to be a good day.
Sadie Mills, Assistant Director
Born in Mesa, AZ
Favorite wild animal: diamondback terrapin
Favorite quote “I hope I number patience among my virtues, but shilly-shallying, when nothing is to be gained by delay, is not a virtue.” – Elizabeth Peters
Stephanie Killingsworth, K-12 Education & Outreach Coordinator
Born in St. Louis, MO
Favorite wild animal: horses
Her favorite part about TESI is the team and culture.
Abigail Davis, Environmental Leaders Intern: Biodiversity Institute
Born in Orlando, FL
Favorite wild animal: baby snow leopard
Pearl of wisdom: Accepting challenges, climbing mountains, reaching summits.
Brooke Schimmel, Environmental Leaders Intern: Gulf Scholars
Born in Chicago, IL
Favorite wild animal: okapi
Pearl of wisdom: To be seen is to be loved.
Elle Henson, Environmental Leaders Fellowship Program Assistant
Born in Gainesville, FL
Favorite wild animal: red fox
Her favorite part about TESI is the team, content, and having a creative outlet.
Kamila Koralasbayev, Environmental Leaders Intern: Water Institute
Born in Silver Spring, MD
Favorite wild animal: jellyfish
Pearl of wisdom: When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.
Keirra Clarke, Environmental Leaders Intern: Sense of Place
Born in Tampa, FL
Favorite wild animal: tiger
Pearl of wisdom: Don’t make any important decisions after 11:00 pm.
Levi Hoskins, Environmental Leaders Intern
Born in Grassy Creek, KY
Favorite wild animal: shark
Pearl of wisdom: Quiet and sanity are the worst insanity.
Lexi Bolger, Smallwood Graduate Assistant
Born in Lakeland, FL
Favorite wild animal: vampire squid
Favorite quote: “Nothing that lived and breathed was truly objective—even in a vacuum” –Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer.
Whose fun fact is this?
See if you can match each quirky tidbit
to the right team member!
- loves live music
- Disney adult 1
- Jeopardy! fan
- loves dancing
- hamster mom
- huge bird fan (loves them all)
- Disney adult 2
- hermit crab fanatic, has nine
- goth music lover
- learning to water color
- Big Dog Ranch Rescue volunteer
- JustDance fanatic
- 70s/80s music fan
Answer key: 1) Alise 2) Carla 3) Sadie 4) Mariela 5) Kamila 6) Elle 7) Brooke 8) Levi 9) Lexi 10) Megan 11) Stephanie 12) Abigail 13) Keirra
photo credits: Alise, Carla, Sadie, and Stephanie headshots = Florida Museum/Jeff Gage; Abigail, Brooke, Kamila, Keirra, Levi, and Lexi headshots = Florida Museum/Kristen Grace; Megan headshot = courtesy of Ryan Huser; Mariela headshot = courtesy of Mariela Pajuelo; Elle headshot = courtesy of Ellen Henson; gallery 1 and 7 = Florida Museum/Kristen Grace; 4, 5, and 9 = Florida Museum/Jeff Gage; 2, 3, and 10 = courtesy of Alise Cross; 6 = courtesy of Sadie Mills; 8 = courtesy of Megan Ennes
graphics created by Carla Ruffer via Canva