Gillian Morton never imagined her passion for science could take her to a remote island in the Bahamas.
Now a senior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and an aspiring physician assistant, Morton has immersed herself in undergraduate research experiences.
This summer, she returned to San Salvador, one of the Bahamas’ “family islands,” to volunteer at Camp Bloom—a science-based summer program for local children created by Dr. Dawn Ford in the UTC Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Science.
Working alongside Ford and fellow UTC students Dixie Edmonson and Michael Probert, Morton embraced a new kind of outreach rooted in education, scientific exploration and community connection.
From left: Gillian Morton, Dixie Edmonson, Michael Probert, Chief Councilor Rennard Storr, Dr. Dawn Ford and Gerace Research Centre co-founder Kathy Gerace. Photo courtesy of Gillian Morton.
I’ve always loved science. I’m a biology major and a Brock Scholar in the Honors College and I’ve had some incredible opportunities here at UTC, but going to San Salvador in the Bahamas this year—twice? That was next level.
It has genuinely been a life-changing experience.
I first went to San Salvador in March as part of Dr. Dawn Ford’s Tropical Island Ecologies class, which is offered through the Honors College every other year. It was a weeklong study abroad trip over spring break, and even though it was only seven days, that was all it took for me to fall in love with the island.
I remember thinking, “This place is magical. I have to come back.” When Dr. Ford asked if anyone in our course wanted to help with Camp Bloom this summer, I immediately said “yes.” I knew, no matter what, that I would do whatever it takes to see San Salvador again.
Going back to San Salvador a second time made such a difference. The first time, I was still figuring everything out. The second time, I knew what I was getting into, and that gave me space to really be present and soak it all in from the get-go.
Camp Bloom is a free, science-based summer day camp for kids who live on San Salvador, and it’s the only camp of its kind on the island. There are fewer than 1,000 people who live there year-round; there’s no YMCA, no rec center, no summer programs or sleepaway camps like we’re used to in the U.S. This camp gives kids a chance to learn, explore and have fun, and it gives their parents or caretakers a little break, too.
We worked out of the Gerace Research Centre, which is an incredible facility run by the University of the Bahamas. Research groups, including professors, university students, and organizations such as National Geographic, come from all over the world to study marine science and island ecology there. It’s such a breathtaking gem of a place, and the people who work there and manage the facilities are amazing.
This summer was the third year of Camp Bloom and the first time it was expanded to two weeks. The first week was for children ages 8 to 10 and the second week was for those ages 11 to 13. I went with two other UTC Honors students—Michael Probert, who’s a business major, and Dixie Edmonson, a communication major. We also had a UTC alum, Chris Greene—she is Bahamian and lives in Nassau—help during the first week, and her cultural and scientific expertise cannot be lauded enough.
We followed a similar schedule both weeks. In the mornings, we’d teach science lessons—things like tides, beach ecosystems, bird species—and take the kids outside to explore. One day, we went on a bird hike and it was gorgeous. We wanted the kids to see how amazing their island is, and how science and education help us learn and appreciate the world around us. Many of them have lived there their whole lives, but they’ve never had someone walk them through all the incredible things they see every day that they might not notice.
The kids were so into it. I’m not entirely sure what I thought would happen, but I know I wasn’t expecting them to be that curious—and they had a million questions I tried my best to answer. What I really hope is that the kids walked away more interested in science, or at least a little more curious about the world around them. A lot of them were hesitant at first about the “school” part of the day, but by the end of the week, they were asking questions like, “Wait, how do parrotfish change gender?” Or, “Do sharks dream?” Their minds were blown. Honestly, so was mine. That kind of excitement and joy on their faces? That’s what makes it all worth it.
In the afternoons, we’d take them snorkeling at different spots. A lot of the kids didn’t know how to swim and were scared of the water, which is quite common there. Bahamians, and many Carribeans, don’t always grow up learning to swim and many of them are afraid of the ocean due to the unfortunate history of the area. We made sure everyone wore life jackets the entire time—no exceptions—but we also helped the kids feel more confident in the water. Some of them really overcame their fear, which was awesome to watch. We practically had to drag them out of the ocean by the end of the week.
Each week, we had a day where I spoke to the kids about balanced meals, physical activity, staying hydrated and getting enough sleep. That tied directly into something I had done out of an abundance of caution: bringing my blood pressure cuff and stethoscope.
I’d had a little experience in that already.
The first time we were in San Salvador, I kind of became the unofficial medical person; people would come to me with random issues and injuries, internal and external, and I’d try my best to help. So this time, I had a checked bag and brought my gear—and enough band-aids to wrap around the world twice.
Dr. Ford asked if I’d be willing to take all the kids’ blood pressures and talk to them about how it’s not scary to go to the clinic. So I set up shop and started checking them one by one. There were 22 kids the first week and every single one of them had questions. Some were hesitant, some were really into it, but all of them were curious. It took hours to talk to all of them, but I didn’t mind. If a kid’s asking questions about their health, I’m going to sit there and have that conversation, always.
That moment really clicked something inside of me, something I felt the last time I went to San Salvador. I want to be the person people come to when they need help. That’s one of the reasons I’ve applied to PA school. I want to work in public health and support underserved communities. Part of that means building trust, especially in environments where people might be hesitant to seek care.
Being able to sit with a kid and explain how their body works? That’s powerful. That’s the kind of connection I want to have in my career.
We also worked with CARDI—the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute—on a gardening project. They gave us sweet potato plants from Nassau and we helped the kids plant them in a new community garden on the Gerace campus. It was a terrific way to show how science and sustainability can work together in real life and produce a really yummy result in the process.
Outside of camp, we went to fish fries that the community holds to raise money for people’s medical expenses. We saw the kids with their families, talked to people on the pier, watched them catch fish. It was just really sweet. Everyone knows everyone on the island. It felt like one big extended family and they welcomed us with open arms.
Bahamian people are some of the nicest I’ve ever met, just genuinely good, kind, interesting humans. It was humbling to be surrounded by such warmth and acceptance on a tiny island a thousand miles from home.
Honestly, I just felt incredibly lucky to be there. Not everyone gets to go to the Bahamas and teach kids about marine science or talk about public health and wellness on a tropical island. That’s such a privilege and I don’t take it for granted.
Gillian Morton talks to the Camp Bloom campers about nutrition and balanced meals.
What did I learn? I learned that I’m more resilient than I thought I was and that I can adapt and handle the unexpected better than I thought I could. And I realized that I actually know more than I give myself credit for. I love being someone others can rely on, and I’ve only become more comfortable with that responsibility as time has passed.
UTC has made all of this possible. The Honors College, my professors, the opportunities—it’s all shaped who I am and what I want to do for the rest of my life.
All of this also ties into my passion for research and clinical experiences. What I love about research is that it isn’t just experiments in a lab. It’s asking questions, observing the world and connecting science to people’s lives in ways that are palatable and applicable.
During my time at UTC, I’ve worked on projects related to hypertension and food insecurity in rural communities, and I’ve learned how social and environmental factors impact health outcomes. That’s the kind of research that matters to me. You’re trying to improve real people’s lives.
San Salvador brought that full circle. Teaching kids about ecosystems, about how what they eat matters, about not being afraid of medical tools—that’s all science communication. It’s the same mindset I use in public health research and in working in the emergency department at Erlanger—a safety-net hospital. How do we meet people where they are and provide them with tools to understand their own health? How do we approach this in a way that is realistic and attainable for them?
I want to keep showing up for people—whether it’s in a lab, in a clinic or on a beach in the Bahamas. That’s who I’ve always been, and to make a career of it is an absolute privilege.
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San Salvador photos courtesy of Gillian Morton
