Madison Toonder is a typical teenager. Her social circle keeps her busy, she depends on her mom for rides, and she looks forward to prom. But that’s where most “typical” things regarding Madison end. As I sat with her at a local restaurant and listened to her speak, I stopped wondering what I was going to write about her and started worrying if I was smart enough to write about her. At sixteen years old, she already has a staggering resume.
A junior at the Stanford University Online High School, Madison’s social circle encompasses a literal international community. She meets with her peers several times a year at places like M.I.T. in Boston for educational events and then goes to California for her prom.
Even beyond this, what makes Madison such an intriguing young woman is her love of research. She has always considered herself to be an academic, but it was in middle school that she discovered her true passion.
Attending a camp at Busch Gardens one summer in seventh grade, Madison discovered the importance of oyster bed conservation and all the research involved in preserving this endangered species of marine life. She took her experiences from that camp to heart, and came home, searching for ways to continue with the research. Within weeks, she was heavily involved with the Guana Tolomato Matanzas Reserve group and was conducting regular research with the head scientists at the park. Her time at GTM introduced her to many endangered marine life species and she began to broaden her horizons.
Later she learned about a virus that is threatening the sea turtle population called fibropapillomatosis or FP. This virus acts very similarly to the human viral diseases HIV and herpes simplex. Once she discovered that similarity, she found that alligator blood is used frequently in studies involving HIV. The simple reason? Alligator blood rejects the HIV and herpes viruses.
She began researching in earnest and found no one else had made the same connection. She reached out to prominent researchers in the state of Florida and connected with Dr. Carolyn Cray at the University of Miami. Now in her second year of research, she is co-authoring a paper on her research (though due to the nature of her work, she was unable to share details).
When not studying, researching new cures for viruses, or speaking at keynote conferences, Madison relieves her tension and stress by playing her guitar. She also volunteers as a volleyball coach at the St. Augustine YMCA.
Madison’s future is very bright indeed. She dreams of attending Duke University for her undergrad and eventually she hopes to become a veterinarian for marine and exotic animals. I’d say her rising star is so bright she might exceed even her own dreams.
Photographed at the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience. Photography by Brian Miller
