As I finish my time at TESI, I feel very fulfilled. My experience here helped me find direction in what I want to do with my degree—and gave me confidence to find a career that excites me.
When I entered college, having to choose between my scientific interests in the natural world and my artistic creativity gave me a lot of trouble. Which would I focus my studies on? Which would I dedicate all-nighters to? How would I be able to feed both of these interests without one going hungry?
A few years into my degree in environmental science, I learned about the field of science communication and was instantly hooked. While looking for internship opportunities to develop my communication skills, I discovered TESI. It seemed like the perfect place to learn and grow, and after applying twice and finally landing the position, I realized it truly was.
Writing and creating content at TESI fed both of my interests. I was able to pitch, research, and write about environmental topics I was interested in, but still learned new things about the state I had lived in for my whole life. My supervisors urged me to exercise my creativity wherever possible, leading me to make unique works that I took great pride in posting for TESI.
My feature story, “The Mysterious Kingdom of Fungi,” was my first chance to experiment with creating a more journalistic story. While it was difficult to narrow such a broad scientific topic into a compelling narrative for a general audience, my personal interest in fungi and creative additions of illustrations and video helped the story come to life.
Of course, I’m particularly proud of the scientific illustrations I made for TESI. After illustrating a luna moth for a special edition Know Your Florida post, I got the chance to turn the design into some unique TESI merch!
TESI taught me a lot about the world of communication, but one of the most important lessons I learned was about finding my confidence. Although it is bittersweet to leave, I am excited to bring the skills and confidence I developed at TESI along with me to the next stage of my career.