Abigail Steele always had an interest in the ocean and wildlife, even though her exposure to those careers were limited in Ohio.
But when she took Erik Ekis’ classes at Westerville Central High School, she became curious about a possible future in biology.
“His classroom is my favorite in the entire building because it is full of different animals,” she said. “I remember many times for zoology we would go out in the field — whether it was with binoculars for bird watching or putting on waders to seine for fish — not all students were as into it as I was. But every time, I was so excited to actually go outside and see what a career in biology would be like.”
“Mr. Ekis is so passionate about wildlife and his excitement is contagious.”
Steele, who graduated from WCHS in 2017, is now a marine mammal biologist, serving as a member of a marine mammal stranding response team for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Her team mostly works with manatees, conducting rescues for sick or injured manatees and taking them to a rehabilitation facility until they have recovered for release.
While at WCHS, she took two classes taught by Ekis — biology as a freshman and zoology as a senior. During the summer before her senior year, she spent two weeks at Ohio State University’s Stone Lab on Lake Erie taking freshwater biology classes with an emphasis on field work. The experience helped her realize her next steps after high school — a career in marine biology.
Steele graduated from the University of Alabama in December 2020 with a degree in marine conservation and environmental science. Since then, she has had various internships, sharing photos of her adventures with Ekis. She sent him pictures of her work as an intern at the Virginia Aquarium, where she served as an assistant stranding technician. She conducted sea turtle or dolphin pickups and assisted with necropsies — autopsies on animal species.
She was hired by Florida Fish and Wildlife in December.
“I love being able to share my adventures with someone like Mr. Ekis who shares the same respect for the environment and has a true appreciation for the work that I'm doing,” she said.