Kendall Fioravante:
Her career drive is to be a good steward of the environment
A love of science and being outdoors fueled Kendall Fioravante’s passion for conservation and preservation. With her sights set on an environmental career from an early age, Fioravante pursued a combination of coursework and work experience that directed her toward water resource management.
Today, she is an environmental scientist whose work is focused primarily on tracking submerged aquatic vegetation in Lake Apopka and the Lower St. Johns River Basin. A variety of work fills her days, where she finds excitement being outside in Florida’s diverse and beautiful landscape. “Every day is different,” she says. “A typical day in my position can involve wildlife surveying from an airboat, flying a drone from a levee, or working with data at my computer.”
For Fioravante, there are few issues more important than the protection of our state’s water resources. She would encourage students to pursue their interests in science, technology, engineering or math because there are many ways to succeed in a STEM career. “There are so many opportunities to apply your individual interests, passions and strengths in the sciences. Diverse skills and personalities are essential to a strong STEM team.”
It’s important work, and a career that she is proud of, she says. “Healthy water and wetlands are absolutely critical to all of Florida’s communities, industries, ecosystems and wildlife. I believe that we have a responsibility to preserve these delicate resources and be the best possible stewards of our environment.”