Howdy!

Hello Blog World,

My name is Iris Ayala, and I will be a Senior Marine Educator with Save the Harbor, Save the Bay this summer. I'm originally from San Antonio, Texas, and I studied English and Secondary Education at Univsersity of the Incarnate Word. I moved to East Boston last July for work, and I was so lucky to live across the street from Constitution Beach, one of the sites that Save the Harbor, Save the Bay will be at this summer.

For the past two years, I have worked with City Year as a full-time volunteer. This past year I was a project leader with Care Force, a sector of City Year that travels the country engaging corporate sponsors to deliver high impact community service events. I developed skills and knowledge in carpentry, painting, and landscaping. For my last event I worked in Richmond, Virginia with the Friends Association where I led 25 corporate volunteers from Aramark to construct a water heater fence, storage shelves, and install play turf into their outdoor area. As my time with City Year came to a close, I wondered how I would spend my summer in Boston, and I started the long process of applying for a job.

I discovered that I loved working outside and learning more about the natural environment around me. I remember spending sweltering Texas summers in Corpus Christi, Port Aransas, and South Padre Island where I fished, camped, and swam with my family. When I was a kid, the Corpus Christi Aquarium was my favorite place to visit, because I was able to touch live sting rays, learn about the communication methods of dolphins, and identify types of sea shells. I came across a listing for the Senior Marine Educator position at Save the Harbor, Save the Bay on Idealist, and I knew it was the job for me. Although the Boston Harbor is a little different than the Gulf of Mexico (the water is so cold!), I am really excited to explore the beaches and learn from all of the talented staff at Save the Harbor, Save the Bay.

Have a wonderful 4th of July, and see y'all by the water,
Iris Ayala