Meguine Duvert is a Natural

Meguine Duvert is a second-year wildlife ecology and conservation student at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Her ultimate goal is to attend veterinary school and become a Wildlife Veterinarian.

During childhood, she loved the outdoors and became fascinated by the turtles and birds around the lake by her house. Spending hours watching and playing, she wisely realized that interrupting creatures in their natural habitat was not the best method to learn their habits.

Born in Naples and raised in Immokalee by parents Edlin and Rosedette, Meguine is the youngest of four children, including two sisters and a brother. Her parents were Haitian immigrants who wanted a safer place for their family to live and work. Mr. Duvert left Haiti for a year for opportunities in the United States. When he returned, Mr. Duvert obtained visas which enabled him to unite his family in the U.S.

Meguine was accepted into The Immokalee Foundation in her freshman year of high school. She follows in the footsteps of her sister Widline, becoming the second member of the family to benefit from the Foundation's education programming and professional development services.

Another benefit is the ongoing support she receives from Paulina Magaña, The Immokalee Foundation's Post-Secondary Services Manager. Paulina refers to Meguine as "my Einstein" and adds, "she always stands out." No surprise, considering The Immokalee Foundation is known for helping self-motivated students who love learning, possess a strong work ethic, and demonstrate a positive outlook—characteristics often used to describe Meguine.

Her favorite undergraduate experience was a SSTRIDE field trip (SSTRIDE is a STEM outreach program from Florida State University) to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida (https://conservancy.org/). Meguine and her four classmates observed a necropsy in the Conservancy's invasive species lab. Each student was given a task. Meguine’s was counting the 33 female eggs from a humanely euthanized female Burmese python. She was fascinated by how the various samples were obtained for analysis. Just being able to get an introduction to the Conservancy and their work to remove these pythons and protect native wildlife was a reward in and of itself.

Her current courses at the University of Florida focus on the pre-professional track for Veterinary School and include Biology, Chemistry, and Wildlife of Florida. In the latter course, students must identify animals and birds by sight and sound. Meguine observed that hearing some of the birdcalls was nostalgic because she had heard them as a child but did not see the birds or know how to identify them. That has now changed.

Successful students excel at both the scientific and human elements of managing wildlife and Meguine just began volunteering with Town & Country Veterinarians and Pet Resort in Gainesville. Her responsibilities include cleaning exam rooms and equipment for the doctors. She will learn everything a vet technician does. So far, that includes ear and skin cytology, taking vitals, reading slides under the microscope, and proper restraint. She learns even more through shadowing appointments and surgeries.

When asked about challenges she may encounter in the veterinary field, Meguine identified diversity. According to 2019 figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while 64% of Veterinarians are female, over 90% of vets are white, 5% are Asian, 4% are Hispanic, and just over 1% are black. Meguine hopes to contribute her diversity in education, experiences, and personality to the profession.

Meguine feels enormous gratitude for the resources provided by The Immokalee Foundation. The staff guided her through the college application process, including scholarships and preparation. She is incredibly grateful to Michelle Tricca of Naples, a portrait photographer who serves as her mentor. Meguine hopes to gain tips from Michelle for photographing wildlife.

Where does Meguine get her strong work ethic and positive outlook? From her role model and mother, Rosedette. "My mother has worked incredibly hard for her children as a hotel housekeeper, often six days a week and 12+ hour days. She always provides positive reinforcement for us."

Unlike many students her age, Meguine does not spend much time on social media. For her, the bigger picture is more global – the ecology between people and animals. Clearly, she knows what is required to achieve her dreams. 

"Eye on Immokalee" is a student profile series from The Immokalee Foundation. The Foundation provides a wide range of educational programs focused on building pathways to professional careers through support, mentoring and tutoring. And, with life skills development, students discover ways to create economic independence.

One hundred percent of the Foundation's students graduate from high school, 100 percent have a postsecondary plan to pursue a professional career, and 92 percent graduate with a postsecondary certificate or degree, with the majority of them getting a four-year bachelor's degree.

To learn more about becoming a mentor, volunteering as a career panel speaker or host, donating, or including the Foundation in your estate plans, call 239-430-9122 or visit ImmokaleeFoundation.org.