Doria “Dory” Gedraitis

Hi! My name is Dory. I am 22 years old, and I was born and raised in Massachusetts just off the Cape. I graduated in 2021 from Wheaton College. At Wheaton I studied environmental science, with a concentration in biology. I was a teaching assistant for an ecology class, and I got to spend a lot of time in and around the woods on campus for my classes and labs! I love getting outside, especially in the cranberry bogs behind my house. Since graduating, I have found various jobs working and volunteering to help my community. I have worked as a shorebird monitor, a substitute teacher at a middle school, a yoga teacher, and even a baker! In my free time I love to hike, read, bake, crochet, do yoga, and thrift shop! I am so excited to be joining AmeriCorps Cape Cod, and to be a part of a positive force in my community!

Lillian “Lily” Gooding

Hi everyone! My name is Lily and I’m from Beverly, MA — on the North Shore of Massachusetts. I’m 22 years old and just recently graduated from the University of Michigan with majors in International Studies and History and a minor in the Environment. I have an editorial and communications background that has prepared me well for writing about environmental issues and sustainability. Moving forward, I hope to explore a career in Environmental Planning and Landscape Design as a method for combatting climate change. I’ve grown up coming to Cape Cod all my life so it is special to me that I can gain exposure to this field in the environment on the Cape. Outside of all of this, I love to read, go on hikes with my dad, and practice cooking & baking.

Caroline Lawrence

Hi! My name is Caroline and I’m from Prattville, Alabama. I recently graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in History and American Studies in August of 2022. I hope to attend graduate school for History following a gap year or two. In my free time, I love spending time outside, hiking, swimming, cooking, and trying new things. Throughout my time at UA, I played on the women’s ultimate frisbee team, Ramma Jamma. During COVID quarantine, I became really interested in skateboarding. When I arrive on the Cape, I hope to try surfing next! I have a passion for the environment and conservation, so I am excited to spend the next year outside of the classroom serving with AmeriCorps Cape Cod.

Nora Leonard

Hi, I’m Nora! I’m 23 and I’m from St. Charles, Illinois. I graduated from the University of Alabama with degrees in Environmental Science and Spanish. After graduating, I worked in ecological restoration in Illinois, then I moved to Colorado where I worked as a horticulturist at the Denver Zoo. Recently, I’ve been working as a Nature Programs Facilitator at a Discovery Center, where we have many different species that I care for and take with me to programs! I have a passion for the environment and conservation efforts, and I am excited to gain skills that I can use to help preserve natural areas and native species. I took a couple of marine biology classes in Costa Rica during one semester of college, where I was able to take field trips to get hands-on experience in helping sea turtle hatchlings, surveying sting rays, and inspecting coral reefs. Ever since then, I have had such a passion for marine biology, and I hope to further my education and pursue a career in it. I am really excited to be a part of AmeriCorps, and I can’t wait to learn more about the Cape over the next year!

Henry Torpey

My name is Henry Torpey and I have recently graduated from Endicott College with a Bachelor of Science for Environmental Science. From a young age, I have always been interested about the outdoors and have always tried to incorporate it into my day somehow. I look forward to learning more about Cape Cod and all the fascinating aspects of this beautiful landscape.

 

Frederick “Fred” Stumbo

Hello! My name is Fred Stumbo. I’m 22 years old and from Iowa City, IA. I graduated from The University of Iowa last May with a B.S. in Geography. I knew I wanted to work in the field of service and sustainability after a study abroad in Uganda, Africa in 2019. The trip changed my perspective on our world and natural resources, and soon after returning to the U.S. I changed my point of study from business to earth sciences. I have grown up playing in the outdoors, going on backpacking trips with friends and family, skiing the Rocky Mountains, and mountain biking. My appreciation for our natural ecosystems only grew through my studies at university and soon led me to find an internship with the Student Conservation Association. In the summer of 2021, I worked an SCA trail crew internship in Southeast Alaska. Throughout the summer my adaptability/survival skills were tested while living out of a tent on the trail. We faced flooding, mosquitos, bears, and lots of rain. That summer was a dream! And after graduation, I knew I would be finding a similar endeavor to start my professional career.

I have spent very little time on the East Coast and never been to Cape Cod. But after finding the position online and reading about others’ experiences, I wanted to give it a shot. I have lots of interest in fishing and hope to further my knowledge of marine conservation while living on the Cape. Gaining real life experience with GIS is also a goal of mine while I complete this position. Overall, I am very excited to live in a new part of the country and find a new community to experience.