Jayvoni Francis

Jayvoni Francis was born and raised on the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. From a young age, he wanted to become a scientist but, the exact field was unknown to him until attending secondary school. He found a great interest in the environment and biology through the geography, general science, and later, biology classes he attended. After graduating secondary school, he attended the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, where he majored in Natural Science. Jayvoni’s interest in environmental science grew through the courses he took along with being an active member of the Environmental Club. 

Jayvoni enrolled at the University of the Virgin Islands in 2017 and graduated in 2020 with a BS in Biology and a minor in Environmental Science. While at the university, he completed several courses in biology and marine biology that increased his understanding and passion for terrestrial and marine conservation. In 2019 he attended an REU hosted by Maryland SeaGrant where he worked on a project analyzing the pycnocline of the Chesapeake Bay. Now, Jayvoni is delighted to join the RAY community and apply his previous skills to his Natural Resource Specialist position at NOAA Fisheries.

Jayvoni enjoys reading (lots of comics and non-fiction books), exercising, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.