Oceans for Life is a unique program that brings Middle Eastern and North American high school students of diverse cultures and backgrounds together to study marine science. The premise is simple but powerful: we are all connected by the ocean, and by studying the ocean, we can learn about improving stewardship of the planet and ourselves – one world, one ocean.
Justin is one of 30 students, including 15 from the Greater Middle East, to be selected out of nearly 400 applications for the program. He completed the highly competitive application process in the spring by writing a series of essays on the importance of the ocean, the interconnectedness of the world’s ocean, how local actions impact the ocean, and his ideas for promoting ocean conservation.
Justin is a rising sophomore honors student at Grady High School where he pursues his conservation interests through the school’s Earth Club, an environmentally themed service-learning club. Justin spends his free time at the Atlanta Zoo where he participates in the volunteer program educating the public about animal conservation topics and providing information about zoo animals. He is also a competitive swimmer with the DeKalb Aquatics swim team and the Grady High School swim team.
For more information, please visit http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov or http://oceanforlife.org.