In 2005, I was accepted to the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science(MATES) as my high school. An accelerated vocational math and science program in the Ocean County Vocational Technical School district, MATES allowed me to explore the natural world in ways most high schoolers can only dream of. As a result, I am a naturalist, environmentalist and environmental studies minor. 

While in high school, I conducted various fieldwork for my oceanography, aquatic ecology and environmental science classes. I took and graphed data, conducted experiments and crafted formal research reports. I also memorized 15 frog calls, learned to identify 70 pine barren-local varieties of trees and plants, and got to take scuba diving instead of gym. 

Since my graduating from MATES, I've tried to integrate environmentalism into as many of my activities as possible. They are collected here.