Hi explorers! My name is Hailee, but you can also call me 夏海麗 (xià hǎi lì), which is my Chinese name. I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but now Taiwan is where I call home!
If you saw my bedroom when I was younger, you would know that I wanted to be a marine biologist when I grew up. Before I was even born, my mom painted my room to look like an aquarium, with everything underwater-themed. There were colorful corals, lots of different fish species, and even a giant orca on the wall! Even though there are no oceans close to Minnesota, I always loved visiting the aquarium and learning about different marine life.
When I got older, I decided to go to college in Florida and study marine biology and environmental science. I loved being close to the beach and spending time in the sunshine. I took classes about all kinds of interesting plants and animals like fish, turtles, frogs, snakes, dolphins, whales and more. I even got to travel to the Bahamas to visit a scientific research station and go snorkeling with my favorite animals, sharks!
I loved learning more about the ocean and the environment, but I also really liked sharing what I learned with other people. I started leading school field trips to teach students about nature and what we can do to help protect it.
