Rickey, Sexton gain real life experiences through volunteering

Want to spend time with sea creatures, but not in the ocean? Try the aquarium, where you might run into two NHHS seniors that have spent nearly all summer there.

Students Jamie Rickey and Nicole Sexton may know quite a bit more about fish than the most of us.

During the 2012-2013 school year Rickey and Sexton seem intrigued by the opportunity to volunteer at the aquarium. So they both made the first step and submitted an application. After a long process of interviews and patiently waiting, the both of them were gracious to hear that they had made the cut.

The next step was attending training sessions once a week for two months. There was also a sleepover at the aquarium where all the trainees continued to learn about the different types of fish and how to inform visitors about them.

Sexton emphasized her fascination for the ocean from the very beginning.

“The ocean is an amazing place with so many amazing creatures,” said Sexton.

Both Sexton and Rickey have been dedicating their time to the National Aquarium in Baltimore since June and plan to end in late August.

Sexton explained that her job was, “…about interacting with the guest and answering any of their questions.”

After speaking with around 100 people in one day, volunteers sometimes get asked peculiar questions.

“I got tons of weird questions, but the weirdest one was from a grown man that asked me if he could swim in one of our open tanks. He was completely serious….,” said Sexton.

Rickey could also add to the list of odd questions asked.

“Sometimes people ask really specific questions like how much a certain fish weighs in a tank filled with 50 fish… I had no idea since I did not go around memorizing the weight of every single fish,” said Rickey.

Rickey and Sexton also pointed out the moments that they got to experience that were more exciting than question answering. Sexton enjoys the times when she gets to feed the fish as a demonstration. Rickey mentioned something more peculiar.

“We have gotten to tour some of the behind the scenes areas like the food prep section, where aquarists are preparing the food for each animal. Also the shark catwalks, which are pathways above the shark tanks,” said Rickey.

Overall the two say the experiences they have had over the summer have made a large impact on them.

“Not only do I now know more facts about marine life than anyone I know, but I know a lot more about public speaking,” said Sexton.

Rickey added that it has helped her decide that she wants to major in Biology and get her license in scuba diving.