‘Intern provides hands-on care to recuperating turtles’

College of the Holy Cross’ Jose Santiago ’17 was recently featured in Topsail Advertiser for his work this summer helping injured sea turtles in North Carolina at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. Topsail reports that Santiago “became interested in [the] internship because of a marine biology class he took at his ‘maritime high school in Philadelphia.’” Santiago explains that a maritime high school puts “an environmental and maritime twist” on typical high school classes.

In addition to his exposure to sea turtles in high school, Santiago recalls making the decision to work with animals in the future at a Holy Cross retreat. According to Santiago, he was able to find his internship by doing research on the internet. He is quick to mention the resources at Holy Cross that are available at the Center for Career Development. “They have expertise in helping students find an internship that is the right fit for their needs,” says Santiago. According to Topsail, Santiago loves the hands-on nature of the work and enjoys going inside the turtle tank to bathe the turtles. He also works at the education center, leading tours and telling visitors about the sea turtles that are currently being rehabilitated. Santiago says, “people are amazed, and they can become quite emotional when they hear about each turtle’s story.”

According to the article, Santiago, a math major and environmental studies minor, would like to attend graduate school in the future to study conservation using projections and modeling.

• Read the full article in Topsail Advertiser here.

This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Sarah Barrett ’18.