Alex Trahan, 18, a recent graduate of La Jolla High School, participated in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl this year with his peers.
The experience, which consisted of studying for a series of tournaments geared around ocean science trivia, inspired Trahan and his friends to get out to the ocean more often “” not just for fun but to learn, he said.
When he discovered that he was one of four students nationally awarded a scholarship from the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE) for his participation in the program, it was like icing on the cake, he said.
“I really like what CORE does with this program because it really encourages students to move into the marine sciences field,” Trahan said, adding that he will attend the University of California, Berkeley in the fall to study both chemical and marine engineering. “Because without that understanding and study of the ocean we have little chance to protect it, and I think it’s very important to protect it as a resource.”
The scholarship, which is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, provides $3,000 per semester for a student’s first two years of undergraduate work. To apply, students must be graduating seniors who participated in the NOSB tournament, according to Henry Hope, CORE’s education coordinator.
“The NOSB tournament is geared toward high school kids, but we wanted to make sure the program was having a broader impact “” that the preparation and studies they do for the program had a broader impact on them,” Hope said. “We are ideally hoping to create a future interest and team of ocean scientists and use this as a way to go beyond the competition.”
This year, CORE received between 40 and 60 applications for the scholarship and used both independent and in-house panels to review the candidates, Hope said. The scholarship program has been offered since 2004, he said.
Trahan was also one of six students to be awarded a summer internship by the Student Conservation Association at Red Wood National Park in Northern California, he said.
Trahan hopes to use the skills he’s acquired through the program to help with his studies through college and eventually work to design materials for platforms, marinas and ships that can withstand the harsh elements of the ocean, he said.
“I spend a lot more time out at the ocean now ” more so than I had in the past,” Trahan said. “Now, instead of just a place to play, it’s become a scientific endeavor, and every time I go now I notice something new.”
For more information about the NOSB tournament, visit www.nosb.org. For more information about the National Ocean Scholar Program, click on Internships and Scholarships on NOSB’s Web site.