Jesi Hessong-Brown is a first-generation WYSE-r! She attended the inaugural conference in 2010 and quickly became a part of the WYSE family. She has been a WYSE fall intern, summer intern, and faculty advisor. Since her first WYSE conference, Jesi has received her B.S. in Conservation and Environmental Biology with a double minor in Applied Conservation Skills and Non-Profit Studies from George Mason University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and received the Senior Award in Biology for her undergraduate research. Jesi spent many years working in wildlife conservation before finding her true passion- teaching. Jesi has since completed her Master’s in Education and is currently the wackiest middle school science teacher at her school. When not at work, Jesi is usually out rock climbing, hiking with her daughters, looking for amphibians, running trail races, or walking her golden retriever, Holly.