Sound to Sea Staff

After graduating with a BS in Elementary Education from the University of WI Milwaukee, Mindy joined the Peace Corps. For two years she lived on an island roughly the size of Bogue Banks, except that she was in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, rather than a few miles from the coast. As a Peace Corps Volunteer to the island nation of Kiribati, Mindy spent her time teaching at the Junior High School. One afternoon while swinging in her hammock in her stick house Mindy came across an announcement for the Sound to Sea Environmental Education Program; she somehow knew this would be her next adventure. She didn't know at the time that it would also become her home. Mindy has worked at Trinity Center since 2002, first as an instructor and then as the Sound to Sea Program Coordinator. As an instructor, Mindy enjoyed the unique atmosphere of teaching hands-on in an outdoor setting. As program coordinator, she found herself drawn to curriculum design and program development. She now enjoys doing both in her position as Trinity Center Program Director. In her free time you can find Mindy driving children to their sport practices and cheering them on from the sidelines. After adopting three wonderful kids several years ago, Mindy continues to welcome foster children into her life.

Meghan grew up in Rocky Hill, Connecticut. She chose to travel south for college to the University of Maryland. After graduating with a degree in zoology, Meghan went on a study abroad near Mt. Kilimanjaro in Kenya, studying wildlife management and ecology. She discovered her love of learning in nature amongst the elephants, wildebeest, and hyenas. She came to Sound to Sea in 2005 and taught as an instructor for 2 years. Meghan then moved to Washington State to be closer to family. There she worked as a naturalist at a wildlife park, teaching people about native northwestern animals like moose, wolves, and banana slugs. The sun, sand, and waves lured Meghan back to North Carolina and Sound to Sea in 2011, where she is now Program Coordinator. Meghan loves sharing her love of the natural world, especially mollusks, with anyone who would like to know. In her free time, you can find her collecting shells, playing outside, or sleeping.

Lex grew up in Winston-Salem, NC and went south to get her undergraduate degree in ocean engineering and sustainability, as well as her graduate degree in conservation technology, from Florida Institute of Technology. She began her work in environmental study with an aquatic ecology program at Appalachian State University in high school, and has continued through trips to the Galapagos, Ecuador, and Peru to study marine biology and neotropical archaeology. Fond of kite flying, frog watching, and (lime) green, she came to Sound to Sea hoping to start a career in environmental education in one of her favorite places: the beach. Lex is most easily identifiable by her hair color, which will vary wildly throughout the year.

Katie grew up in central North Carolina and received her bachelor’s in biology from Guilford College. While looking for opportunities in conservation research, she became a research intern at the Duke Lemur Center. Later, it was her love for animals and the outdoors that brought her to Haw River State Park. There she found her passion and talent as an environmental educator, serving as both educator and naturalist at various nature centers. Most recently, she has earned her master’s in experiential and outdoor education at Western Carolina University and has started her joinery at Sound to Sea as an environmental education instructor. In her free time, you can find her hanging out with friends, watching Netflix, or relaxing by the ocean.

Kaela grew up in Charlotte, NC with a lifelong passion for animal care and a love of nature which led her to pursue a degree in Conservation Biology at Boston University. While there, Kaela volunteered at a butterfly lab on campus where she got to participate in two summer research projects in western Massachusetts and in Costa Rica. Upon graduation in 2022, she moved home to Charlotte and began work as a swim instructor, where she fell in love with teaching. Kaela is so excited to work for a program like Sound to Sea where she can hopefully inspire a new generation to fall in love with and protect the Earth. When she is not teaching, Kaela loves swimming, exploring local bookstores, and napping.

Ethan grew up in western Pennsylvania where he spent most of his childhood gallivanting through the hills and canoeing in the Allegheny River. His family spent nearly every summer cooped up in a van driving from national park to national park, which grew in him a deep desire to learn about and protect the natural places of the Earth. As an adult, Ethan received a B.S. in Environmental Science and Geology from West Texas A&M University. During his time in undergrad, Ethan worked various positions with summer camps and other sites doing outdoor education and recreation. This inspired him to seek out and apply for the Sound to Sea program following college. When he isn't teaching with STS he enjoys fossil-hunting, hiking, and chess.

Kyle grew up in Hopkinton Massachusetts where he enjoyed playing in and around the lake he lived on. He spent his time hiking in the backwoods, flipping over rocks and fishing for muscles in the lake. For college, he travelled south to Rhode Island and attended Salve Regina University where he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in environmental studies. As a research assistant in college Kyle studied the distribution, abundance, and health of migrating songbirds. He eventually conducted more research for his thesis on four species of rail birds in Newport RI. Before starting his journey at Sound to Sea, Kyle interned at a non-profit organization called Clean Ocean Access and fell in love with environmental and educational outreach. In his free time, you can find Kyle doing any outdoor activity you can think of or watching sports and movies.

Miranda is originally from Pennsylvania, where she discovered her love of nature. She received a B.S. in Animal Behavior from Bucknell University in PA. During her time in school she worked with a variety of species including capuchin monkeys and Madagascar hissing cockroaches, and was able to connect with her passion for environmental conservation. After graduating, Miranda moved to Vail, Colorado where she was a naturalist at Walking Mountains Science Center. She led guided hikes throughout Eagle County and taught various classes at local preschools. She is excited to explore the habitats on our barrier island with her students.

Taylor is from Parkton, North Carolina but was originally born in Fairbanks, Alaska. Taylor grew up visiting the beaches up and down the NC and SC coast and loved every minute of it. From there, her love of the ocean grew even more when she attended the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Once she graduated with her degree in Marine Biology, she worked at a summer camp teaching kids about the forest and nature, and everything in between. She knew that she wanted to pursue a life in environmental education and teach kids everything she knew about the ocean and more. In her free time, she loves to go read, chill on the beach, and go fishing.