Shockingly, kids live just a few miles inland and have never seen the ocean. Julianna Clinton aims to change that.
Clinton is a marine biologist and instructor at The Sanibel Sea School, the educational arm of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. “I started as a summer camp counselor and fell in love with the job,” she said.
After earning her degree from Rollins College in 2022, the Orlando native found the “heart and soul” of the Sea School’s mission — and her own — through the summer camps on Sanibel Island.
“We’re working to improve the ocean’s future one person at a time,” Clinton said of the sea school’s mission.
Campers come from across the nation and even from other countries. One-day field trips from area schools include students from as close as Fort Myers who experience the sea for the first time. Those moments hold a special magic for Clinton.
Though she is passionate about her job, not long ago, she wasn’t sure she could keep it. “I was living in Fort Myers when my roommate backed out,” she explained. “I was paying $1,800 a month for a tiny studio apartment. My parents were helping, but I couldn’t afford it.”
Aware of her plight, a coworker suggested Community Housing & Resources. Clinton applied, worked directly with friendly staff, and was soon accepted. She moved into a lovely, roomier apartment at one of CHR’s properties.
“CHR gave me a wonderful opportunity to live somewhere I wouldn’t be able to live without them,” said Clinton. “It’s great here. I don’t ever want to leave.”
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