Corina Guevara, Florida Sea Grant’s Student and Education Coordinator since 2003
Florida Sea Grant bids a fond and optimistic farewell to Ms. Corina Guevara, our Student and Education Coordinator for the past seven years. Corina came to the United States from Guatemala in 2003, accompanying her husband, Christian, who was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue M.S. and then Ph.D. degrees from the University of Florida, specializing in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.
With her husband established in his graduate program, Corina sought work as a research assistant with the Florida Sea Grant Boating and Waterway’s Planning Program as a way to indulge her aptitude for learning, apply her upbeat and positive work ethic, and assimilate culturally.
Corina spent the next several years learning ArcGIS software and applying principles of spatial analysis and map making. Her aptitude and interest in this subject later afforded her with opportunities to complete a MS degree in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences at the University of Florida and manage and help instruct a Florida Sea Grant supported GIS training for resource professionals, which is ongoing. Her skills in geospatial analysis have been sought and relied upon by a number of our marine agents and specialists to support their extension programming and research projects.
Guevara managed and helped instruct Florida Sea Grant-supported GIS trainings for resource professionals.
Pursuit of a graduate degree fulfilled Corina’s growing interest in processes and methods for evaluating environmental education programs. Corina put this knowledge to use when, in 2014, she assumed the role of Student and Education Coordinator helping to document and report the progression of students through their education and early careers. In this capacity, Corina applied her knowledge of GIS to integrate new ways to map, display and share profiles of Florida Sea Grant students as story-maps. This product of her work was considered a “best practice” at Florida Sea Grant’s federal site review in 2019.
Corina has applied her upbeat and positive work ethic to experiencing and studying Florida’s abundant coastal resources.
Corina’s story is representative of many individuals who come to America to pursue professional advancement and the dream of a better life. Sadly, Corina’s time with us has reached its conclusion and she must return to her home in Guatemala, fulfilling the requirements of her temporary permissions to reside legally in the United States.
Although this eventuality was not unexpected it is never easy when that day comes. We wish Corina much happiness and a hopeful future as she returns to her home in Guatemala. Corina, will be missed and her kindness, dedication and many contributions to our program will not be forgotten.
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