Celebrating National Student Employee Week

Happy National Student Employee Week!

Did you know almost half our aquarium staff is made up of UC San Diego students?! About every department at the aquarium has at least one student in the mix! This National Student Employee Week we’re putting the spotlight on a few of the MANY students that work at Birch Aquarium. Our student employees interact with guests out on Tidepool Plaza, sell tickets to the aquarium, photograph our animals and so much more – dive in and learn more about their roles here at the aquarium below!

Are you a UC San Diego student interested in working at Birch Aquarium?! Be sure to check Handshake for any current openings. Apply Today. Almost every student job position at the aquarium is also on UC San Diego’s Co-Curricular Record (CCR) to help highlight student involvement, achievements and skills developed in opportunities beyond the classroom – learn more about Co-Curricular Record (CCR).

Meet Wave (she/her)

What year are you in? What are you studying at UC San Diego?

I’m in the second and final year of my master’s program in Marine Biology at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UCSD. I’ve been researching the effects of temperature on the feeding behavior of Brown Box Crab – an experimental fishery species in Southern California. 

How did you find out about Birch Aquarium?

I first visited Birch Aquarium back in 2016 when I was touring colleges for undergrad. I absolutely fell in love with the incredible view of Scripps Pier from Tidepool Plaza and was impressed by all the exhibits. When I moved to San Diego to start my master’s I knew I wanted to get involved at the aquarium! 

What department do you work for at Birch Aquarium? How long have you been working here?

I started working for the marketing department in November 2021 as their Marketing Assistant. 

What are some of the skills you’ve gained from working at the aquarium?

My background in undergrad was in marine biology but I’ve always been interested in science communication. Since taking on this role I’ve gotten to enhance my science communication skills by writing social media and blog posts. I’ve also learned so much about photography and photo editing – which were completely new skills to me prior to the position. I’ve also had the unique opportunity to do underwater photography since I have my scientific diver certification through Scripps. I’ve gotten to take photos and videos on SCUBA in our Giant Kelp Forest and Little Blue Penguin exhibits as well as out in the field on collection dives. Through these experiences I’ve gained so many new skills as both a scientific diver and a photographer. 

What project that you’ve worked on are you most proud of?

Last fall I created a video for Birch’s 30th Anniversary up on the hill. While gathering content for the video I got to go back through years of old photos from when the aquarium was first being built all the way to the present. I also read through several historical documents that detailed the early days of Scripps and the aquarium before it was officially known as Birch. Putting the video together gave me a new appreciation for both the place I work and where I go to school and it was super exciting to share the final product with staff and the public. 

What are you hoping to do after you graduate?

More school! After graduating from my master’s program my plan is to continue on to a PhD in marine biology. I’m interested in studying how fisheries species are affected by human impacts and climate change and how to apply the findings of this research to fisheries management and conservation strategies. More long term, my goal is to become a professor of marine biology and have my own research lab at a university in the future. 

Favorite animal or exhibit?

100% the Giant Kelp Forest! I grew up in California and always loved visiting the coast and looking out at and diving in kelp forests. Getting to dive in our kelp forest exhibit has furthered my love for the ecosystem and all of the awesome animals that live in it too. I think our Giant Sea Bass is my absolute favorite! 

Meet Alexis

What are you studying at UC San Diego?

I am a fourth year studying Global Health and Clinical Psychology and I plan to graduate this spring! 

How did you find out about Birch Aquarium?

I first visited Birch during the free student week my freshman year back in 2019. I was in awe! I thought it was super cool that Birch Aquarium is just a shuttle stop away from our main campus and that view is absolutely AMAZING! 

What department do you work for at Birch Aquarium? How long have you been working here?

I work for Guest Services as one of the Student Managers. When the job was posted on Handshake I just had to apply! I’ve been working here since August 2021. 

What are some of the skills you’ve gained from working at the aquarium?

Since starting at the aquarium, I’ve learned how to communicate more effectively and engage a variety of guests. In the Student Manager position, I’ve learned how to be a better leader and to collaborate with my fellow Student Manager to create a professional and fun atmosphere in the Guest Services Office as well as throughout the aquarium. It has also been awesome learning how to be a part of a larger team at Birch Aquarium and working with other departments as we all strive to make the aquarium better. 

What project that you’ve worked on are you most proud of?

In Guest Services we have bookmarks that have cool fish from the aquarium on them. Sometimes kids would be kind of bummed because they weren’t stickers so I started to say that the bookmarks were kind of like a scavenger hunt around the aquarium to see if they could spot all the fishes we have and their little faces would light up! Other people around our office started to say this too and all the kids would leave super excited about their bookmark ready for an adventure around the aquarium. 

What are you hoping to do after you graduate?

I am kind of in between options right now, so I am taking a gap year to really decide if I want to get an MBA or go to school to become a marriage and family therapist. Since there’s been more of a shift to remote working it would be a dream to have a job doing online therapy so that it can be more accessible to many different people. 

Favorite animal or exhibit?

My favorite animal that Birch Aquarium introduced me to is the Ornate Boxfish! I learned that these fish are sexually dimorphic, meaning the males look different from the slightly smaller and less brightly colored females. Ornate Boxfish can also release a toxin to help protect themselves from predators. I absolutely love the little male boxfish on display! He is so round and squishy looking!! He’s also always super active moving throughout his tank whenever I stop by. 

Meet Maile (she/her)

What are you studying at UC San Diego?

I’m a Human Biology major and am on the pre-med track! I transferred to UC San Diego this past fall. I’ve been interested in the medical field since I was a little kid. Anytime I went to the doctors or the hospital I found myself wanting to help and wanting to learn more – growing up I participated in different health clubs at school and went on biology based field trips to learn more.

How did you find out about Birch Aquarium?

I was actually a member of the aquarium first! When I moved to San Diego, I googled “things to do in San Diego” and the aquarium was one of the top hits! I’ve always had an interest in marine biology and animals so it sounded like a fun place to visit. After getting my membership I learned that Birch Aquarium is part of UC San Diego – it’s cool to see how all these things are connected.

What department do you work for at Birch Aquarium? How long have you been working here?

Something really cool about working at the aquarium is that you don’t need to be a marine biology major to work here! I’ve been at the aquarium for about a month now working in our Volunteer Department. One of my major responsibilities is coordinating our team of volunteers – I help get them started and answer any questions they may have, and help them learn all about the aquarium. I also help with our volunteer newsletter and update the volunteer website! Getting to see all these cool animals every single day is a pretty big perk of my job! I love connecting guests with all our animals, especially when it’s a school group. I love seeing the looks on kids’ faces as they discover new animals.

What are some of the skills you’ve gained from working at the aquarium?

People skills! I’ve learned how to interact with all kinds of guests and how to connect their interests with what they can find at the aquarium! I’ve also learned what it’s like to work in an office, improved my computer skills, and further developed my work, school and life balance. It’s also pretty amazing to work at a place where I can destress, learn something new … and have penguins within view of my desk! 

What project that you’ve worked on are you most proud of?

I get so much joy when I help our new volunteers out on some of their first-ever shifts! It’s awesome being able to show them the ins and outs of the aquariums and even teach them a few tips and tricks. For example, sea urchin hugs – when you gently place your finger on a sea urchin they’ll slowly move their spines around you and give you a “hug.”  I also absolutely love working out on Tidepool Plaza and have learned so much about our local animals. I love leading this station, sharing fun facts, and connecting people to animals they might never have gotten a chance to interact with.

What are you hoping to do after you graduate?

After I graduate, my goal is to go to med-school and eventually become a doctor. Maybe pediatric emergency, but I’m not quite sure yet. I’m also an EMT so I’d love to find a way to blend all my passions together and combine my love for working with kids with my education in human biology!

Favorite animal or exhibit?

My favorite exhibit is Beyster Family Little Blue Penguins. I love that all of the penguins have very different and unique personalities and overtime you can really pinpoint the ones that like the water or bask in the sun. Also, the fact that I can SEE penguins through my office window and randomly hear penguin noises throughout the day is the best – I really look forward to it! But my favorite animal is the anglerfish. I think it’s so cool that we have an angelfish specimen in the Oddities exhibit and that we even had a Pacific Footballfish specimen on display last year!

Meet Christopher (he/him)

What are you studying at UC San Diego?

I’m a first year undergrad at UC San Diego studying Data Science! 

How did you find out about Birch Aquarium?

I volunteered at an aquarium in Seattle during high school and loved that experience. When I moved down here for undergrad I looked up what the largest aquarium in San Diego and discovered it wasBirch Aquarium. I first started volunteering at the aquarium during my first year of undergrad. It was while I was volunteering that I learned UC San Diego students can work here so that’s how I ended up in my current position. 

What department do you work for at Birch Aquarium? How long have you been working here?

I’ve been at Birch Aquarium since March 2022! First as a volunteer and now as a student employee in the Volunteer Department. I went from being a volunteer to a student employee in September 2022. 

What are some of the skills you’ve gained from working at the aquarium?

I’ve definitely gained a lot of written communication skills while working in the volunteer department  – drafting emails, organizing tasks among my co-workers and more. I’ve also increased my experience talking with guests. I was pretty familiar and comfortable speaking with all sorts of guests before working here thanks to my previous aquarium position in Seattle but I’ve only continued to learn more since working here. 

What project that you’ve worked on are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of whenever I can use data science skills here. Even though It wasn’t in the job description, I’ve found a use for it in my work countless times. I’m currently working on a project to do with volunteer retention – I’m trying to quantify this information to better understand how we can retain volunteers for longer periods, and what we’re currently doing that promotes retention. I also really like being able to code for different tasks to improve workflow. I find this extremely rewarding because I’m applying what I’m learning in school to a real work environment. 

What are you hoping to do after you graduate?

Honestly, I’m not entirely sure. I know I want to continue to live by the ocean. I’ve been involved with aquariums since my sophomore year of high school so I’ve had about 4 years of experience working in that realm and I’d love to continue somewhere along that path. 

Favorite animal or exhibit?

My favorite animal is the Sunflower Star! When I first started volunteering here I was so impressed by all the different exhibits – the kelp forest, our loggerhead turtle, seadragons, jellies – but I remember telling someone that I really wish we had a Sunflower Star because I loved seeing them up north in Washington. And then my co-worker pointed out that we did in fact have Sunflower Stars – the very first habitat in Hall of Fishes. I still can’t believe I missed them initially, but they’re definitely my favorite!