Press Releases

October 25, 2001
Childhood Dolphin Dreams Lead Local Student to Learning Opportunity in Hawaii

Clarence, NY Native Jennifer McGee Participates in Highly Competitive Program

Contact:
Patricia Conway
(631) 287 8313
Fax: (631) 283 4081

Jennifer McGee, a Psychology/Biology major at Southampton College of Long Island University in Southampton, NY, realized one of her childhood dreams when she participated in a summer cooperative program at Dolphin Quest in Oahu, Hawaii. She was one of four students from around the country who were selected to take part in the highly competitive program.

Along with performing basic tasks such as cleaning, feeding, and keeping daily records of the animals, Jennifer also assisted the trainers and veterinarians in lab tests and procedures to create medical baselines for each animal. One of the highlights of Jennifer's work was her participation in Dolphin Quest's new children's program, Quest for Knowledge.

"The children fed sea turtles, touched stingrays, kissed dolphins, and acted out a sea turtle life cycle," said Jennifer. "We conducted tropical fish snorkel scavenger hunts and hands-on activities showing similarities between dolphins and humans." Quest for Knowledge also includes games in which children learn about various sea animals, their characteristics, life cycles, and conservation issues.

"I've done more than I ever thought I would," said Jennifer. "It is more than you would expect, as long as you're willing to put forth the effort to learn.?

Southampton College's Cooperative Education and internship programs provide students of all academic disciplines with the opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge and training in a real world setting. Students are placed in various businesses, scientific laboratories, community and government agencies, artist and film studios, among others, to learn about various fields of study.

Southampton College, located on the eastern end of Long Island minutes from the Atlantic Ocean, places strong emphasis on experiential education and offers several intense programs that stress the value of on-the-job, hands-on experience. In addition to its Cooperative Education and internship programs, the College offers SEAmester, where students travel and study aboard a 130-foot schooner, exchange programs with universities in other countries, and the Friends World Program, a full four-year experiential education program with eight regional centers around the world.