Year graduated from CCS
2014
Family
Parents Jim and Joanne Bates, sister Aimee
(CCS Class of 2016)
What did you do after CCS graduation?
(College, work, etc.)
I attended undergraduate school at LaGrange College in LaGrange, Georgia, and received a bachelor’s degree in biology and minors in servant leadership and sustainability in 2018.
What are you doing now?
I am attending graduate school at the University of South Alabama (USA) in Mobile, Alabama. I am pursuing a master’s degree in marine conservation and resource management at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.
How did CCS prepare you for what you are doing and/or where you are?
Calvary gave me foundational knowledge in science, writing, event planning, public speaking, project coordination, and a general drive to pursue my goals and help bring others to Christ.
What advice would you give a CCS student?
Never doubt yourself or where you come from or start. I was unsure at times if going to a small private school inland would help me be successful in my field of interest (marine conservation), but I have found that it did tremendously. I think no matter what walk in life I would have chosen, Calvary would have prepared me, and they will prepare you, too.
What are your future plans?
Obtain my master’s degree at USA and apply for a travel job within the marine conservation/awareness/advocacy/restoration field. I want to ultimately settle down on the Gulf Coast with a more permanent job in this field.
In three or four sentences, what would you tell someone about yourself?
I am a 23-year old graduate student currently working in a marine biogeochemistry lab and assisting a Ph.D. student on researching Mercury levels within Mobile Bay, its contributory waters, and its aquatic inhabitants. I live on Dauphin Island, Alabama, and love being outdoors and on the water. I caught the travel bug last year on a trip to Hawaii and am going to the Bahamas in May of 2019. I want to make travel a big part of my life moving forward.
