Hi all! My name is Anastasia Shakhidzhanova and I’m a senior at Santa Monica High School. My deep-rooted passion for our planet stems from my belief that when humans are disconnected from the natural world, they are disconnected from themselves, because after all we are all elements of the same Earth. This disconnection that so many of us face in our current society is the root of the social issues that plague our world as well as many of our personal problems; I learned this from my own experience going through my environmental awakening less than two years ago. I hope that the work of this great team of young innovators is able to plant the seeds of environmental consciousness in as many individuals as possible, so we may all work to see a brighter day tomorrow.
Hola! I am Isabel and am a junior at SAMO. I grew up in Mexico City. Although my beloved city has a rich historic culture embracing nature, it has become extremely polluted in modern times. Air pollution and trash have become the new normal around many of the city’s streets, affecting those with the least the most especially. A city whose values used to revolve around nature has become oblivious of its origins. Having have also grown a part of my life in another beautiful place, Miami, that once again experienced the consequences of global warming yet in the form of hurricanes, it was clear to me when my eyes were opened by Mr. Kay here in Santa Monica on the connection of human actions to the wellbeing of our Earth, that something had to be done. Rather than using our knowledge and discoveries against nature and ourselves, we should be using them to work with it in balance. To take that into action, I decided to get involved in my community and start from there. I believe acting locally is one of the most impactful ways to make a difference. Team Marine has allowed me to make a difference at a local and state-wide level and given me a new purpose to do as much as I can protect our beautiful Earth.
I’m Daniel, and I love advocating for fundamental change, especially for the protection of the health of our Earth. Team Marine has kindled this candlelight in the past two years of highschool, into a flame that has consumed all other aspirations, kindled an awareness that has shown me and allowed me to try and show others in the next two, the beauty and the necessity of sustainability, and a true connection to our environment. I’ll be studying and am now, studying something related to Earth’s systems and thus their protection and savings en masse. I do a lot of other cool things too, but Team Marine is part of my heart.
