Category: Junior Faculty Advisor

Zoe Pitman is a rising senior at the University of Arkansas pursuing an Earth Science degree with a minor in Sustainability.  She attended WYSE in 2018 as a delegate and is excited to be back as a JFA! Zoe is an active member and officer of a student organization at her university called Students Advocating for the Environment, and she dedicates a lot of time to helping University students learn how to live more sustainably. Her hobbies include hiking, rock climbing, baking, and reading.

Evelyn Aponte recently graduated from the College of William and Mary with a B.A. in History and Hispanic Studies.  After an internship with the nonprofit organization Edu-Futuro, where she developed and delivered a Social Emotional Learning program, she is looking forward to working with faculty and students. Evelyn is actively searching for her first professional career, and in her free time you can find her doing Zumba and lifeguarding!

Liz Ye (she/her) just finished her first year at the University of Vermont in Burlington, VT. She is majoring in Environmental Science with a minor in Law and Society.  She loves to run, hike, and explore the outdoors. Liz loves studying species of trees as well as learning about invasive species!

Meghan Stevens is a rising junior at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.  She is double majoring in Biology and Environmental Studies. She also plays volleyball at school and is involved in several extracurriculars including the Student Athlete Advisory Council and the Sustainability Club. Meghan hopes to spend her life advocating for the environment and helping future generations have a chance to feel the same strong connection that she feels to the outdoors.

Taylor Rutter is a 2022 graduate from George Mason University’s Honors College, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminology, Law, and Society with a concentration in Homeland Security and Justice and plans to start the academy for her local police department in the fall.  While her degree and future career may not be environmentally focused, her passion for bettering the environment and teaching others how to be better environmental stewards, which started as a child, is still strong. Taylor has volunteered with the North Carolina Coastal Federation for several years, where she assisted educators in teaching youth during summer camps how to protect their local waterways and identify native species; she also helped build living shorelines and oyster reefs to restore coastline ecosystems. Taylor first attended WYSE as a North Carolina Delegate during the summer of 2017 and returned as an Intern the following summer of 2018. While Covid-19 prevented her from becoming a JFA earlier during her time in college, she is beyond excited to return to WYSE once again to help share her passion for the environment!

Elizabeth Allen (WYSE 2018) is a junior Biology Major at Roger Williams University with a minor in  Educational Studies. She is originally from Watertown, Massachusetts and currently resides in Bristol, Rhode Island. While at Roger Williams, she has assumed the position of Treasurer of the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honors Society for the 2022-2023 academic year. She is part of the Marine Science Club and All Paws In Club on the RWU campus. She volunteers at the National Marine Life Center as a member of their Animal Care Team working in seal and turtle husbandry, rehabilitation, and release. Elizabeth is still in contact with connections she made during her time at the WYSE program in 2018 and cannot wait to return as a Junior Faculty Advisor!

MacKenzie is a rising junior at University of North Carolina Wilmington pursuing a degree in marine biology with a minor in theatre.  Her passion for animals and the environment started young as her favorite shows to watch as a kid were animal planet documentaries, and she would love to use her degree to help with ocean conservation. She also has a passion for sharks and would love to work with them one day. In her free time, she enjoys watching and being involved in theatre, baking, and watching Marvel movies. MacKenzie attended WYSE in 2019 and is so excited to be coming back as a JFA. She can’t wait help make WYSE 2022 an amazing experience for the delegates this year.

McKenzie is an undergraduate student at Colorado State University currently pursuing a bachelor degree in Chemistry and a bachelor degree in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology with a concentration in Wildlife Biology.  McKenzie attended WYSE in 2018 as a delegate and came back to intern in 2019. Her time in WYSE is what helped her find a passion for the environment and conservation. Now she is ready to make this a wonderful experience for the 2022 delegates as a JFA! In her freetime she enjoys hiking and playing with her cat.

Recently achieving his AA degree, Tai’Juon Walls is an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor’s in Health Science degree at the University of Florida.  In his free time he enjoys photography, art, and motorcycling. Since a child he has always had a passion for protecting and preserving the environment, so that generations long after can enjoy and be stunned by the beauty Earth holds within itself. Being a 2018 WYSE youth delegate and a 2019 WYSE intern, Tai’Juon is very excited to once again work alongside the wonderful WYSE team and the delegates to ensure another fantastic year of the WYSE experience.

Bob Colvin is a rising senior Biology major with a track in Marine Bio at University of Central Florida with large interests in anything ecological or scientific. His biggest draws right now are to entomology and astronomy. He is also an avid chess player.