Wilmington Fellows Class of 2021

Kelly Arnold

Kelly Arnold currently lives in the town of Lewisville, NC and has been thrilled to get to know the coastal region of North Carolina while at UNCW. She is a double major in Anthropology and History with a minor in Spanish, hoping to pursue a career in archaeology and museum work after graduating. While at UNCW she has come to hold leadership positions in Student Ambassadors and the Anthropology Club, as well as maintaining a strong involvement with the Honors College through the Honors Scholars Association and serving as an Honors Mentor. During the rest of her time at UNCW, Kelly looks forward to advancing her academic career through research and internships while still making time for some amazing memories with her friends.

Noah Baker

Noah Baker is from Concord, North Carolina pursuing a degree in Physics with a minor in Mathematics. His passion for UNCW extends through his various involvements which include being a Student Ambassador, Honors office worker, Honors student mentor, and undergraduate researcher. He plans to pursue a PhD in particle physics after his undergraduate studies with the hopes of becoming a professor someday. One of his previous professors, Dr. Grove, stated regarding his decision to be a professor that he “loved the university experience so much that [he] just never left,” a sentiment Noah has adopted as he continues his studies. He hopes to continue to be as involved as he can in the Honors College, and to take advantage of the many opportunities provided by that involvement.

Ryan Besemer

Ryan was born and raised in Lansing, New York, which lies just outside of Ithaca. Growing up, Ryan developed a sense of wonder and intrigue for the ocean. As a result of his close proximity to Cornell University, Ryan was able to explore his interests through a program called New Visions, where he was able to assist a graduate student with her research during his senior year of high school. As a result of his hard work on the project, Ryan eventually became a co-author on the paper concerning CRESS-DNA viruses in intertidal marine isopods. Ryan’s decision to attend UNCW came as a result of the wonderful Marine Biology program and warmer winters. Ryan is pursuing a degree in Marine Biology at UNCW, with minors in Chemistry and Statistics. After his undergrad, Ryan hopes to continue his love for learning in graduate school for his doctorate. Aside from academics, Ryan has pursued several other passions on campus as a Student Ambassador and as the goalie for the Club Ice Hockey team.

Daniela Berry

Daniela Berry is from Hudson, North Carolina, a small town near Boone. Her love for the outdoors and childhood spent hiking and camping with family has fueled her passion for connecting youth to outdoor recreation opportunities. She hopes to have a career with the YMCA in residential camping. Daniela is currently majoring in Recreation, Sports Leadership and Tourism Management with a concentration in Public and Nonprofit Recreation as well as minoring in business. Outside of the classroom, Daniela is an active member of the Student Government Association, where she serves as this year's President Pro-Tempore. She also serves as an Honors Mentor and works at the Student Rec Center on campus. She is beginning work on her Honors thesis and plans to study how to effectively equip residential summer camp staff to support campers with mental health illnesses and disorders.

Grace Carter

Grace Carter is from Hudson, New Hampshire. She looks forward to pursuing a major in Marine Biology with a minor in Chemistry. She is excited to get involved in on campus organizations, including the scuba and beekeeping clubs. Grace has a passion for traveling and is interested in studying abroad in South Africa. She has always had the goal of becoming a veterinarian, so she plans on a pre-vet track. She worked at an animal hospital throughout high school and hopes at find similar work during her time at UNCW.

Nicki D'Alessio

Nicki D'Alessio is from Raleigh, North Carolina and is a Communication Studies and Spanish double major. Since arriving at UNCW, Nicki has become extremely involved in the campus community, serving as an Honors housing Resident Assistant, Secretary of Student Ambassadors, and Vice President of Marketing for the Association for Campus Entertainment. Nicki studied abroad for a summer in Salamanca, Spain, and is also the 2019 recipient of the Martha Duncan Leadership Scholarship through the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement. Nicki hopes to pursue a career in marketing and public relations, and hopefully do a lot more traveling during the rest of her time at UNCW and after graduation.

Allison Garrell

Allison Garrell is from Raleigh, North Carolina and is pursuing a major in Business with the concentration Entrepreneurship and Business Development. Her main goal is to find a job where she can work with children of all ages. She is currently studying abroad in Singapore at Nanyang Technological University and a recipient of the Lenwood Bo Dean Scholarship. She is taking business courses there, enjoying campus life and traveling around Asia in her free time. In Wilmington, she works all year as a runner in an insurance law firm that includes offices around the southeast United states. Outside of the classroom she enjoys being with friends, activities at the beach, and taking care of her cat Jade.

Zachary Hyta

Zach Hyta was born and raised in Spokane, Washington. He is excited to double major in Business and Marine Biology, as well as gaining a minor in Chemistry, having a passion for science. He hopes to study abroad in places such as Australia, to see the world in general, and to conduct field research. He also looks forward to joining many of the clubs and organizations at UNCW.

Madison King

Madison was born in Raleigh, NC and grew up in Wake Forest, NC. In high school she was on the cheer team and participated in SGA, DECA, and NHS, and she plans to join similar organizations at UNCW. She has always had a passion for biology and medicine and found a love for business in high school, so she plans to double major in Biology and Business in order to become a medical sales representative. She plans to join a sorority and get involved in other organizations at UNCW. She is excited to study abroad during college since she has never left the country and business is so universal.

Lynda Matheny

Lynda is originally from Rutherfordton, NC. She has always had a love for science and medicine, but she didn't find her passion for Biology until she attended UNCW. She is currently majoring in Biology with a minor in Neuroscience. She plans to attend medical school after she graduates. In fall 2018, Lynda began a DIS with Dr. Kohman exploring the functional consequences of neuroinflammation. She also began working as a Seahawk Link. Lynda loves to travel and hopes to study abroad in Europe or South America.

Sarah Nicholson

Coming from the small town of Whispering Pines, NC, Sarah has found a second home at UNCW. She is double majoring in Biology (conservation concentration) and Spanish and minoring in GIS. Her love of nature has prompted her to pursue a career as a wildlife biologist, with hopes to perform field research and advance conservation efforts. Outside of class, Sarah works as a Sustainability Peer Educator and a Spanish Tutor at the University Learning Center. She is also involved in organizations such the Marine Mammal Stranding Program, Plastic Ocean Project, and Student Ambassadors. During the summer of 2018, Sarah worked as an animal husbandry intern at The Creature Conservancy in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In her remaining years at UNCW, she is looking forward to studying abroad and becoming involved in undergraduate research.

Recent Accomplishments: SGA Scholarship recipient, Margaret Walthour Lippitt Scholarship recipient

Connor Simons

Connor is from Charlotte, North Carolina. He plans to major in Business Administration with a minor in Spanish. During his time at UNCW, he also hopes to study abroad and travel to different countries in order to achieve his goal of owning an international business.

Lauren Whitehouse

Lauren, from Essex Junction, Vermont, is a double major in Marine Biology and Environmental Science with a minor in Spanish. Lauren's research and professional experiences are preparing her for a master's degree in Hydrology and Water Resource Management. She interns at Cape Fear Public Utility Authority as a Source Water Protection Plan contributor as well as working on her thesis. This project is part of a larger collaboration with the NC Department of Transportation and will evaluate how well image data from drones may be used for delineating and predicting wetlands. The research will be used to improve project planning. Lauren has also performed work evaluating coastal subsurface temperatures as they relate to groundwater temperature and water table height.