Field Team 2016 - "MJ"
My name is Thanchira Suriyamongkol or "Moji", but I go by "MJ". I am an international student from Thailand, who came to the US 2010 through an exchange student program. Since that time, I've fallen in love with the mountains, the hiking trails, the nature and wildlife of this country, so I decided to continue my study in the US.
Throughout my years here, I have lived in 3 different states: Ohio, Montana, and Washington. Then I decided to come to Texas for my last two years in college. Currently, I am a senior, wildlife and fisheries sciences major, at Texas A&M University. As a kid, I have always had passions for animals. Back in Thailand, I was interested in the oceans and marine animals because we had many beautiful beaches and coral reefs. Because of that reason, I planned to get my degree in marine biology. However, I discovered my true passion in reptiles and amphibians when I came to Texas A&M. I got a chance to join Dr. Rose's lab; there, I had done so many projects on different things including Chinese tallow tree, Florida manatee, and Green tree frog. Working on the tree frog project and other herp-related volunteer work and field trips made me realize how much I like them and made me want to know more about them. Fortunately, this Summer, I had a chance to do my internship in New mexico on a threatened turtle species, Pseudemys gorzugi.
Now, I got to come to Costa Rica to work with sea turtles! These two opportunities help me open up the world of herpetology and real-world research experience. I really love what I have been doing during this summer! I love doing research and field works. After graduation, I plan to pursue a master degree in herpetology.
