Cecelia Dolaz
Education Program Associate
Cecelia hails from Illinois but spent her most of her life in Chengdu, China. Her early exposure to the marine world came through scuba diving in Thailand and Indonesia, where the vibrant coral reefs ignited her passion for marine biology and conservation. This lifelong dedication has led her to accumulate over 500 dives, during which she has actively participated in trash collection dives and the removal of illegal fishing nets and plastic pollution from reefs worldwide. She has continued her love of scuba diving by obtaining her PADI Divemaster certification.
Cecelia pursued her academic interests at Loyola University Chicago, earning a Magna Cum Laude Honors B.S. in Conservation and Restoration Ecology, complemented by a minor in Chinese Language and Culture. Her journey with the Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF) began as an intern, where she collaborated closely with the restoration department. Today, as the Education Program Associate, she contributes full-time to the Education department. In this role, Cecelia writes curriculum, teaches children about coral restoration, and engages with the public to inspire ocean stewardship and collective environmental action.
