Ashley Yuratich Guidry, Mac of ‘91

1. In what ways did your Ursuline education prepare you for the work you are doing now? 

Ursuline prepared me to be ready for anything life could throw in my path. I feel it taught me not just to handle such situations but to handle them with enthusiasm and grace. I also walk away from every experience with a little more knowledge about the world around us.

2. Please describe the most significant value you learned from Ursuline Academy.  

The most significant value I learned from Ursuline was the value of choosing something you love and giving it everything you’ve got. It makes people who they are in character.  I am passionate for my work, something others cannot always understand. I know in my heart this is exactly what I was put on earth to do. I just feel fortunate that I’m actually able to do it. Definitely a dream come true.

3. Describe Ursuline in one word.

Empowering

About Ashley Yuratich-Guidry

 Ashley, a native of New Orleans, has been training marine mammals for over 10 years. Currently a Senior Marine Mammal Trainer in Florida, she trains dolphins and sea lions for shows, husbandry behaviors, educational programs, in water interactions, and research projects. 

Ashley also works as a first responder for the Southeast Marine Mammal Stranding Network. She has responded to hundreds of stranded, sick, and injured marine animals and participated in their rehabilitation. She has rehabilitated a wide variety of marine animals including many species of dolphins, whales, and sea turtles. After Hurricane Katrina she was part of the rescue effort who went to the aid of the Marine Life Oceanarium in Gulfport, Mississippi to help locate and secure their marine mammal collection after the complete devastation of the facility. This rescue included collection of sea lions from the streets and beaches, collection of dolphins from their temporary evacuation in hotel swimming pools, and collection of the rest of the facilities dolphins from the Gulf of Mexico.  The animals were successfully secured and transported to new facilities throughout Florida and the Bahamas. Ashley has participated in many other rescue operations and served on task forces over the years coming to the aid of many endangered or entangled marine animals. She has helped educate local area fisherman on properly unhooking marine mammals and sea turtles if accidentally hooked while fishing.

For the last two years Ashley has participated in a Dolphin Assisted Therapy program with a group of rough-toothed dolphins and special needs children. The dolphins are used as reinforcement for individual goals attained throughout 2 week therapy sessions.

Ashley received her Bachelor of Science degree in 1995 from the University of Southern Mississippi. She received her Masters of Arts degree from the same university in 1998.  While in graduate school she trained therapy dogs to visit the areas local hospitals.  She continues to work with the University of Southern Mississippi’s psychology department in ongoing rough-toothed dolphin research projects.

Ashley has always had a passion for the ocean and its creatures. Fascinated from a young age of the value in this precious ecosystem, she strives to educate people about the importance of marine conservation and marine mammal protection.

Ashley currently resides in Florida with her husband Glyn and their “tadpoles”, twin sons Jack and Luke.