Guide to Programs
Programs by Age
School Partnerships
- Global Development Programs
- Custom Programs
Programs by Interests
View all trip costs and dates >

New To Broadreach? >
Why Broadreach?
About Us
Experience Broadreach

Caribbean Tropical Marine Biology

MBT11 Update - Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Meet the Staff!

Who will be leading this group of fearless students into the great wide world of discovery? Marina, Will and Amy that’s who! It’s our pleasure to introduce you to the amazing staff that will be leading the Caribbean Tropical Marine Biology program this summer.

MARINA RITCHIE
Hiking and canoeing to work every day while doing field research in a protected forest in her native Canada tops the list of Marina’s most enjoyable and memorable outdoor experiences. A morning commute doesn’t get much better than that! Marina’s love for the outdoors and her commitment to education have prepared her well for her first summer as a marine biology instructor with Broadreach. She has extensive experience working with teenagers and college students both in academic and recreational settings. WWhile working on her master’s degree in biology at Dalhousie University in Canada, she coached high school basketball and taught undergraduate biology courses. She also mentored students as well as worked with fellow graduate students on multiple manuscripts, field work, and lab projects. In addition to teaching and coaching, Marina rides horses competitively and enjoys playing sports, snowboarding, hiking and surfing.

WILL MARKS
Born and raised on the wind and rain-swept coast of Cornwall, England, Will Marks fostered his love for sailing until age 8 when his family moved “across the pond” into landlocked Southern Illinois. With hardly a drop of water in sight, sailing took a back seat for several years until he rediscovered his passion on the ancient shores of the Ionian Sea on a 40-foot sloop with his uncle. AAfter graduating from Southern Illinois University with a degree in geography, Will abandoned the prairie lifestyle as well as all typical graduate avenues and followed the wind to the Caribbean. There, he skippered a 56-foot sloop whose sister ship was featured in the movie Casino Royale. Returning stateside, Will began working on a graduate degree in natural resources at NC State University while also helping run the NC State Sailing Club and taking undergraduates on all sorts of off-shore adventures. From time to time, he also takes contract skipper jobs in the Caribbean. In his non-sailing life, Will has spent time traveling the world and studying in Ghana. He also worked as a research scientist for the Environmental Protection Agency. Will is very excited about his second summer at Broadreach and is looking forward to casting off the bowlines. His general life philosophy is “don't ever pass up an opportunity,” so he's glad you've made the incredibly smart life decision to join him on Broadreach.

AMY KELLEY
Here’s a fun fact about Amy: She loves the water so much that she and her husband got married in their pool! Although she grew up in Chicago, Amy has pretty much always found a way to get into the water. During her teen years, she spent her summers working outdoors as a camp counselor, swim instructor, lifeguarded, and pool manager. After college, she headed for larger waters and taught scuba diving in Central America, the Caribbean, Palau, and Thailand. She has her sights set on acquiring her own sailboat and sailing the world with her husband. Together they want to meet new people, learn new languages, experience new cultures, and make a positive impact educating others about the importance of protecting our oceans. Amy studied Spanish and education at University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne, and currently teaches high school Spanish in Texas. She first learned about Broadreach through a friend who previously worked with us, and she immediately knew it would be the perfect opportunity to combine her love for teaching, diving, boating and traveling.