Introducing the Team Marine roster for 2013-2014!! This year, the electric conversion of the 1971 Volkswagen was completed. Team Marine has many more upcoming projects that will be posted on the site as the year progresses.
Angelina Hwang
My name is Angelina Hwang and I am senior at Samohi, as well as Team Marine captain. From a young age, I have been fascinated by nature and wildlife. Through Team Marine I was able to nurture my passion for the environment. I met other dedicated and like-minded students who envisioned a future where the issues of plastic pollution, ocean acidification, and global climate change (just to name a few) are solved. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to partake in the electric car conversion, conduct grocery bag research, and inform the community through educational outreach activities. I am grateful to be a part of this incredible group and will continue my endeavor to create a sustainable future.
Martin Liu
Hi, my name is Martin Liu and I am a Junior at Santa Monica High School as well as a member of Team Marine. I have moved to Santa Monica two years ago from France, where I grew up. Since the earliest of my childhood memories, the wonders of nature captivated me. I had for a long time known that the environment was endangered. However, I only fairly recently realized to what extent it was so. I therefore began to protect the environment through daily gestures as well as my joining of Team Marine, which allowed me to eco-educate myself as well as others through science.
Aubrey Dondick
My name is Aubrey Dondick and I am a senior at Santa Monica High School. After being an active member of Team Marine for the past year I have realized the power of my voice through spreading awareness. I enjoy collecting plastics and trash on the beach after the First Flush; also, I enjoy testifying in front of Santa Monica and Los Angeles City Hall to speak my beliefs about our society’s addiction to plastics and our right to sustainable lives. I spend a lot of time researching and competing in science competitions with Team Marine. Team Marine has inspired me to become an environmental engineer. After conducting research in the lab of UCLA’s environmental engineering department and achieving 99.9% rejection in my centrifugal membrane filtration system, I wish to focus on water purification. I plan on joining Engineers Without Boarders and traveling to developing countries to create water wells and water recycling facilities. Team Marine has shaped me as a person and my aspirations. I plan on taking the information and morals I have learned and developed here with me to college.
Jazmin Carvajal
Since I got my first dog, I new that my future would involve animals. Over the years, I have volunteered at many animal shelters where marine life was not a major focus. During sophomore year I took chemistry and I wanted to try something different for junior year. My counselor suggested Marine Biology which would focus a lot on marine life. In Marine Biology class I had the opportunity to meet the head of Team Marine, Mr. Kay. After the first two weeks of school my friend encouraged me to join the organization. She is actually the reason why I joined Team Marine. During my time on Team Marine I have spent time with some of the previous Team Marine members and I have learned a lot about how important it is to take care of the planet. I realized that this group would teach me and take me places that I never imagined. I recently was on CNN Latino and spoke about Team Marine’s electric car. Team Marine is an organization that takes a lot of time, effort, and dedication. I am proud to be part of Team Marine.
Kimberly Fuentes
My name is Kimberly Fuentes and I am a Junior at Samohi. I’ve always loved to be near nature, at the beach, and with animals so I have a very strong passion for these things. I feel a need to conserve them and protect them because those are things that all generations should see and because of the global crisis that we are facing currently, they are all at risk. I have always been aware of the earth’s problems and did the best that i could as an individual to lessen my carbon never got that many people to join with me and never actually felt like i was making a difference. I was glad when I first came to a Team Marine meeting and they seemed like a well organized group that was actually doing things to solve these problems and I have already done and learned so much that I would not have been able to do if it was not for Team Marine. I look forward to continue with this amazing group of conscious teens to help solve the main issues of our oceans and in turn save the planet!
Hannah Persinko
My name is Hannah Persinko and I am a Sophomore at Santa Monica High School. This will be my second year on the team and I now know what to expect, the team really does put so much time and effort into helping our community. Team Marine was introduced to me by my older sister who was a previous student of Mr. Kay, and she thought I should join because of me love of science and the environment. I enjoy outside, especially on the beach but I absolutely hate to see trash lying on the ground with people stepping around it, not bothering to pick it up. Being on the team has helped me in many ways, from teaching me more things about my world, helping me speak in front of people and widening my group of friends. I know I will continue to do great things with Team Marine this year and many years to come.
Katie Oran
Hey! My name is Katie Oran and I am a senior at SAMOHI. We face the unprecedented threat of climate change and standing by, and doing nothing, is not an option. I hope that I can inspire others to stand up and fight climate change the way that Team Marine does. Through beach clean ups, environmental rally’s, and research projects Team Marine has taught me that change starts with yourself.
Valentina Probosz
Hi, I’m Valentina Probosz. I joined Team Marine this year as a junior, and have already had the fantastic opportunity to help record plastic bag research and present the team’s electric car! Being part of Team Marine is a considerable time commitment, but every minute is worth it. Keeping our planet pristine through turning to alternative energy sources and decreasing our carbon footprints is the least we can do to pay it back for all the wonders the world has to offer. Through joining Team Marine, I have discovered that I am truly passionate about saving the environment, and that every day there is something I can do to make a change.
Ellie Reynolds
Julian Apter
Hello, I am Julian Apter, a junior and member of Team Marine since 2012-2013, my sophomore year. Being a member of Team Marine has educated me on imperative issues affecting climate change today, such as society’s addiction to plastic, and the acidification of our oceans. I learned to ecoeducate myself on these problems, and then ecoactivate by teaching others. Teaching of the topics has reinforced my knowledge and has given me peace of mind to know we are working toward a common good. We need to teach the masses to start the conversion to a more sustainable life; one of my favorite tasks of Team Marine.
