{"id":70638,"date":"2025-09-03T09:06:19","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T13:06:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=70638"},"modified":"2025-09-12T08:00:17","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T12:00:17","slug":"im-more-resilient-than-i-thought-i-was-utc-senior-gillian-morton-reflects-on-research-island-outreach-and-growing-into-her-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/09\/im-more-resilient-than-i-thought-i-was-utc-senior-gillian-morton-reflects-on-research-island-outreach-and-growing-into-her-future\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I\u2019m more resilient than I thought I was\u2019: UTC senior Gillian Morton reflects on research, island outreach and growing into her future"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gillian Morton never imagined her passion for science could take her to a remote island in the Bahamas.<\/em><\/p>\n

Now a senior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and an aspiring physician assistant, Morton has immersed herself in undergraduate research experiences.<\/em><\/p>\n

This summer, she returned to San Salvador, one of the Bahamas\u2019 \u201cfamily islands,\u201d to volunteer at Camp Bloom\u2014a science-based summer program for local children created by Dr. Dawn Ford in the UTC Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Science.<\/em><\/p>\n

Working alongside Ford and fellow UTC students Dixie Edmonson and Michael Probert, Morton embraced a new kind of outreach rooted in education, scientific exploration and community connection.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"From

From left: Gillian Morton, Dixie Edmonson, Michael Probert, Chief Councilor Rennard Storr, Dr. Dawn Ford and Gerace Research Centre co-founder Kathy Gerace. Photo credit: Janet Clarke Storr.<\/p><\/div>\n

I\u2019ve always loved science. I\u2019m a biology major and a Brock Scholar in the Honors College and I\u2019ve had some incredible opportunities here at UTC, but going to San Salvador in the Bahamas this year\u2014twice? That was next level.<\/p>\n

It has genuinely been a life-changing experience.<\/p>\n

I first went to San Salvador in March as part of Dr. Dawn Ford\u2019s Tropical Island Ecologies class, which is offered through the Honors College every other year. It was a weeklong study abroad trip over spring break, and even though it was only seven days, that was all it took for me to fall in love with the island.<\/p>\n

I remember thinking, \u201cThis place is magical. I have to come back.\u201d When Dr. Ford asked if anyone in our course wanted to help with Camp Bloom this summer, I immediately said \u201cyes.\u201d I knew, no matter what, that I would do whatever it takes to see San Salvador again.<\/p>\n

Going back to San Salvador a second time made such a difference. The first time, I was still figuring everything out. The second time, I knew what I was getting into, and that gave me space to really be present and soak it all in from the get-go.<\/p>\n

Camp Bloom is a free, science-based summer day camp for kids who live on San Salvador, and it\u2019s the only camp of its kind on the island. There are fewer than 1,000 people who live there year-round; there\u2019s no YMCA, no rec center, no summer programs or sleepaway camps like we\u2019re used to in the U.S. This camp gives kids a chance to learn, explore and have fun, and it gives their parents or caretakers a little break, too.<\/p>\n

We worked out of the Gerace Research Centre, which is an incredible facility run by the University of the Bahamas. Research groups, including professors, university students, and organizations such as National Geographic, come from all over the world to study marine science and island ecology there. It\u2019s such a breathtaking gem of a place, and the people who work there and manage the facilities are amazing.<\/p>\n

This summer was the third year of Camp Bloom and the first time it was expanded to two weeks. The first week was for children ages 8 to 10 and the second week was for those ages 11 to 13. I went with two other UTC Honors students\u2014Michael Probert, who\u2019s a business major, and Dixie Edmonson, a communication major. We also had a UTC alum, Chris Greene\u2014she is Bahamian and lives in Nassau\u2014help during the first week, and her cultural and scientific expertise cannot be lauded enough.<\/p>\n

We followed a similar schedule both weeks. In the mornings, we\u2019d teach science lessons\u2014things like tides, beach ecosystems, bird species\u2014and take the kids outside to explore. One day, we went on a bird hike and it was gorgeous. We wanted the kids to see how amazing their island is, and how science and education help us learn and appreciate the world around us. Many of them have lived there their whole lives, but they\u2019ve never had someone walk them through all the incredible things they see every day that they might not notice.<\/p>\n

The kids were so into it. I\u2019m not entirely sure what I thought would happen, but I know I wasn\u2019t expecting them to be that curious\u2014and they had a million questions I tried my best to answer. What I really hope is that the kids walked away more interested in science, or at least a little more curious about the world around them. A lot of them were hesitant at first about the \u201cschool\u201d part of the day, but by the end of the week, they were asking questions like, \u201cWait, how do parrotfish change gender?\u201d Or, \u201cDo sharks dream?\u201d Their minds were blown. Honestly, so was mine. That kind of excitement and joy on their faces? That\u2019s what makes it all worth it.<\/p>\n

In the afternoons, we\u2019d take them snorkeling at different spots. A lot of the kids didn\u2019t know how to swim and were scared of the water, which is quite common there. Bahamians, and many Carribeans, don\u2019t always grow up learning to swim and many of them are afraid of the ocean due to the unfortunate history of the area. We made sure everyone wore life jackets the entire time\u2014no exceptions\u2014but we also helped the kids feel more confident in the water. Some of them really overcame their fear, which was awesome to watch. We practically had to drag them out of the ocean by the end of the week.<\/p>\n

Each week, we had a day where I spoke to the kids about balanced meals, physical activity, staying hydrated and getting enough sleep. That tied directly into something I had done out of an abundance of caution: bringing my blood pressure cuff and stethoscope.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d had a little experience in that already.<\/p>\n

\"Photos

Photos by Janet Clarke Storr<\/p><\/div>\n

The first time we were in San Salvador, I kind of became the unofficial medical person; people would come to me with random issues and injuries, internal and external, and I\u2019d try my best to help. So this time, I had a checked bag and brought my gear\u2014and enough band-aids to wrap around the world twice.<\/p>\n

Dr. Ford asked if I\u2019d be willing to take all the kids\u2019 blood pressures and talk to them about how it\u2019s not scary to go to the clinic. So I set up shop and started checking them one by one. There were 22 kids the first week and every single one of them had questions. Some were hesitant, some were really into it, but all of them were curious. It took hours to talk to all of them, but I didn\u2019t mind. If a kid\u2019s asking questions about their health, I\u2019m going to sit there and have that conversation, always.<\/p>\n

That moment really clicked something inside of me, something I felt the last time I went to San Salvador. I want to be the person people come to when they need help. That\u2019s one of the reasons I\u2019ve applied to PA school. I want to work in public health and support underserved communities. Part of that means building trust, especially in environments where people might be hesitant to seek care.<\/p>\n

Being able to sit with a kid and explain how their body works? That\u2019s powerful. That\u2019s the kind of connection I want to have in my career.<\/p>\n

We also worked with CARDI\u2014the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute\u2014on a gardening project. They gave us sweet potato plants from Nassau and we helped the kids plant them in a new community garden on the Gerace campus. It was a terrific way to show how science and sustainability can work together in real life and produce a really yummy result in the process.<\/p>\n

Outside of camp, we went to fish fries that the community holds to raise money for people\u2019s medical expenses. We saw the kids with their families, talked to people on the pier, watched them catch fish. It was just really sweet. Everyone knows everyone on the island. It felt like one big extended family and they welcomed us with open arms.<\/p>\n

Bahamian people are some of the nicest I\u2019ve ever met, just genuinely good, kind, interesting humans. It was humbling to be surrounded by such warmth and acceptance on a tiny island a thousand miles from home.<\/p>\n

Honestly, I just felt incredibly lucky to be there. Not everyone gets to go to the Bahamas and teach kids about marine science or talk about public health and wellness on a tropical island. That\u2019s such a privilege and I don\u2019t take it for granted.<\/p>\n

\"Gillian

Gillian Morton talks to the Camp Bloom campers about nutrition and balanced meals. Photo credit: Janet Clarke Storr.<\/p><\/div>\n

What did I learn? I learned that I\u2019m more resilient than I thought I was and that I can adapt and handle the unexpected better than I thought I could. And I realized that I actually know more than I give myself credit for. I love being someone others can rely on, and I\u2019ve only become more comfortable with that responsibility as time has passed.<\/p>\n

UTC has made all of this possible. The Honors College, my professors, the opportunities\u2014it\u2019s all shaped who I am and what I want to do for the rest of my life.<\/p>\n

All of this also ties into my passion for research and clinical experiences. What I love about research is that it isn\u2019t just experiments in a lab. It\u2019s asking questions, observing the world and connecting science to people\u2019s lives in ways that are palatable and applicable.<\/p>\n

During my time at UTC, I\u2019ve worked on projects related to hypertension and food insecurity in rural communities, and I\u2019ve learned how social and environmental factors impact health outcomes. That\u2019s the kind of research that matters to me. You\u2019re trying to improve real people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n

San Salvador brought that full circle. Teaching kids about ecosystems, about how what they eat matters, about not being afraid of medical tools\u2014that\u2019s all science communication. It\u2019s the same mindset I use in public health research and in working in the emergency department at Erlanger\u2014a safety-net hospital. How do we meet people where they are and provide them with tools to understand their own health? How do we approach this in a way that is realistic and attainable for them?<\/p>\n

I want to keep showing up for people\u2014whether it\u2019s in a lab, in a clinic or on a beach in the Bahamas. That\u2019s who I\u2019ve always been, and to make a career of it is an absolute privilege.<\/p>\n

Learn more<\/h4>\n

Visit UTC<\/a><\/p>\n

UTC Honors College<\/a><\/p>\n

Center for Global Education<\/a><\/p>\n

How to apply<\/a><\/p>\n

San Salvador photos courtesy of Gillian Morton<\/h4>\n
\"Scenic <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Scenic <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Scenic <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gillian Morton never imagined her passion for science could take her to a remote island in the Bahamas. Now a senior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and an aspiring physician assistant, Morton has immersed herself in undergraduate research experiences.<\/p>\n

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