How Marina Wennstrom grew up in the Detroit metropolitan area and ended up nose-to-nose with marine animals on the West Coast is a tale that includes a stop at Washtenaw Community College.
The Canton native and Plymouth High School graduate spent a year at WCC taking general education classes that served as a stepping stone to her goal of attending Florida International University in Miami.
Wennstrom graduated from FIU in 2023 and today is in San Diego, working as a contract animal trainer for dolphins and sea lions in the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program.
Wennstrom completed an internship working with a U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program that helped develop video games for sea lions, used to support play-based care and study the animals’ cognitive abilities.
The U.S. Navy employs more than 120 sea lions and dolphins that, among other roles, detect explosives and other underwater hazards, and recover Navy equipment from the ocean floor. Play is a vital part of their wellbeing and training.
Looking back, Wennstrom says WCC laid the groundwork for her success.
“WCC gave me such a solid foundation in my general credits. When I first enrolled at WCC, I knew I wanted to eventually get my bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology,” Wennstrom said. “However, after taking an Ecology and Evolution class (BIO 161) at WCC, I wanted to broaden my area of study to include more biology.”
Today, Wennstrom possesses two bachelor’s degrees from FIU in Marine Biology and Biological Sciences.
She believes adding the Biological Sciences major opened more career options post-graduation. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Marine Biology and build a career focused on marine conservation research.
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This story first appeared in the Summer 2025 edition of Launch magazine.
Tags: Alumni Profile, Biology, Launch, Transfer