I am an Environmental Science student at Santa Rosa Junior High looking to transfer to Sonoma State in Spring of 2027. I am aiming for a career in conservation and I’m interested in many different fields such as ecology and habitat restoration.
My name is Tyler Stanciu, and I’ve just wrapped up my third year at the Santa Rosa Junior College and am now preparing for my transition to UC Davis this upcoming fall, where I will be completing my undergraduate degree in Animal Science. I plan to specialize in behavior, although my interests also overlap with ecology and evolution.
Hi, my name is Miranda Mintonye, and I am a returning third-year student at Santa Rosa Junior College, majoring in Environmental Science with a focus on habitat restoration and invasive species removal. This summer, I had the immense privilege of being mentored by Luis Morales, the Land Steward at Bodega Marine Reserve.
My name is Alyssa Walls and I am an SRJC student majoring in Biology and Natural sciences. I plan to transfer to UC Davis or UC Berkeley and pursue a degree in Plant Biology or Ecology and Evolution. Since I was little I have always been passionate about nature and loved being outdoors observing plants, insects, and other creatures.
Bilinski fellowships are awarded to outstanding doctoral students whose selected projects, based at the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory, exhibit innovation, collaboration, and are a key component of the student’s final dissertation.
In this Peer Q&A, Environmental Policy Analysis & Planning major Toby Jacob and Marine & Coastal Science major Mikayla Leyson share what surprised them most, what challenged them, and what they gained from studying at the coast. From DNA extractions and fish embryos to tidepools, dorm life, and late-night stargazing, their stories capture both the rigor and the close-knit community that define the BML experience.
Fourth-year UC Davis geology student Sonia Somasundaram was studying in the Cadet Hand Library at the Bodega Marine Laboratory when a fellow student burst through the library’s doors.
For more than a decade, the SRJC–BML Internship Program has connected Santa Rosa Junior College students with hands-on research experiences at the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory.
To wear or not to wear these clothing, that was my question everyday as a land steward intern. Most of my internship was spent outdoors doing fieldwork for habitat restoration, specifically invasive plants removal. I worked closely with my mentor Luis, the Bodega Marine Reserve steward, and Cabrilla.
My passion for wildlife, ocean ecosystems, and a love for the beach, led me to an incredible opportunity to bring that curiosity into the field through an internship at UC Davis’s Bodega Marine Laboratory (BML).
