A second-generation Cuban American, Carter spent his youth gaining an appreciation for nature in the forests, streams, and mountains of Virginia. Inspired to aid in the preservation and understanding of wildlife and wild spaces, he attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, earning a Bachelor of Science in Ecology in 2020. He believes that ecological research and hands-on conservation are more important now than ever before. He has conducted two independent ecological field studies – one on wildflowers in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, and the other on crabs and sea urchins in the coral reefs near Cuajiniquil, Costa Rica. Additionally, he has participated in larger studies of California wildflowers and deer populations in Virginia. In the future, he hopes to continue building on these research and applied fieldwork experiences in order to make a difference and help protect the environment. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, SCUBA diving, and playing bass guitar, and he is also in the process of writing a novel.