From Florida College to the Ocean, Jessica DeRemer Charts a Career Path in Marine Biology
August 1, 2024 | 2-3 min read
Playing with dolphins is a dream job for most kids growing up along Florida’s emerald coast. For recent Florida College graduate Jessica DeRemer, that childhood hope is morphing into a promising career following an unforgettable internship at Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The Clearwater native graduated in May 2024 with her Bachelor of Science in Educational Studies with a specialization in Biology.
“My ideal job was always a dolphin trainer, and this internship was a first step toward that,” said DeRemer, who landed one of 20 semester-long aquarium internships in January. The only intern in the education department, she worked alongside marine biologists to teach guests through field trips, boat tours and offsite outreach programs.
“This internship has been an awesome experience, because I get to be on a boat every day and am hands-on caring for the animals,” she said. “I’ve also been actively involved in research projects, which has been a dream come true.”
After completing her internship in May, DeRemer was offered a full-time position as a marine biologist in the aquarium’s education department. She spent the summer teaching camps and leading boat tours during the aquarium’s busiest season. Now, in an exciting turn of events, Jessica has been offered a coveted position with the Marine Internship Program at Dolphin Quest Bermuda, propelling her career in marine biology and education to new heights.
She said she’s grateful for FC’s flexibility and willingness to think outside the box when it comes to education.
“There’s a misconception that an education degree is just for aspiring classroom teachers,” she observed. “Something a lot of students don’t consider with the education program is that you can educate in any field and can choose your area of focus.”
DeRemer took advantage of upper level biology classes and research labs, while also completing core education courses.
“It’s the best of both worlds,” she said, noting the practicality of courses like Classroom Management and Survey of Special Education — classes that have already proven beneficial in her career. “The education faculty gave me the basics of how to teach and it doesn’t matter what you teach, if you’re educating someone in some way.”
She said FC’s biblical worldview has also been extremely impactful, both academically and spiritually.
“Biology and science fields aren’t traditionally saturated by Christians, but Mr. Chandler taught us that everything we learn in science points us further toward God,” DeRemer noted. “It’s more evidence and not less, and working in the field of science every day only points me back to Him and supports what I’ve been learning.”
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