OLD PASSION RESURFACES
Aquarium internship immerses Emily Scott in former marine biology interest
Between hosting interactive exhibits and hand feeding aquatic animals as part of her internship at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, East Carolina University sophomore Emily Scott has one specific interest on her mind.
Neurobiology.
Scott, whose former passion for marine biology resurfaced during her internship, would like to meld that interest with her intended career path in neurobiology.
“I’ve been interested for a while in neuroscience and genetics, specifically neurodegenerative diseases,” Scott said. “When I was a kid, I was interested in marine biology, but as I got older, I shifted from that interest to neurobiology.”
Scott said her attraction to neurobiology and neurodegenerative diseases began after her aunt was diagnosed with ALS – a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.
However, Scott’s internship with the aquarium as part of ECU’s Public Service Fellows internship program has made her rethink her future. The program provided a transformative experience for the young researcher, leading her to reexamine an old passion.
“When I came here I thought I’d be an outcast,” Scott said. “It’s been the perfect place for me. I was on the fence about applying to the internship site because I wasn’t a marine biology major, but I’m so glad I did because it’s sparked an old interest in marine biology and created a new interest in marine conservation. I still have a passion for neurobiology, but it would be cool to somehow link the two in my future research.”
Along with her daily tasks of leading informative programs, interacting with aquarium visitors and feeding animals, Scott played a large role in developing the aquarium’s nature play area. It encourages children and their parents to unplug and spend time together in the aquarium’s forest area.
With her internship winding down, Scott said she’s thankful for the opportunity to investigate an area of study that played such an important role in her childhood.
“Growing up, I always wanted to be involved in marine biology and, even though I’ve shifted my career path since then, it’s been exciting to get to work in the field through my internship,” she said. “I haven’t had a lot of time of explore this discipline and I wouldn’t have been able to without the internship program.”
Scott is a sophomore at ECU.