Biographies

England

My name is Amalie Heath-Born and I’m from the UK. I attend St Marylebone School in Central London where I’m studying for my A’Levels.

I’m interested mainly in the human sciences and am studying Biology, Psychology and Politics. I think this program is helpful and important in terms of engaging our generation in looking at the challenges that face our planet, and also in empowering our generation to take these on.

My name is Arianne Östlund, and I am a senior studying natural science at Mora Gymnasium in Mora, Sweden. I have always loved science because of the understanding it provides for how the world works. However, science was accorded a deeper meaning after I was fortunate enough to take part in an expedition to the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. In the rainforest, we were tasked with helping the indigenous people develop a sustainable ecotourism in order to be able to resist the many oil companies trying to exploit their land. It was during this expedition that I realized how desperately we need science to solve challenges affecting our planet. 

I am deeply honored to be a student ambassador for the Planet Earth Symposium because it means being a part of a program that I believe makes a huge impact on my generation, and in extension, positively influences the future of our world.

My name is Benedikt von Beauvais, I am 13 years old, we live in Düsseldorf on river Rhine. After finishing school I want to travel all over the world, to Africa, to India, to South America, and I do hope that by then the world will not have been ruined completely, they have not killed the last rhinos, climate change will not have submerged all the beautiful islands.  Many young people feel like that. Yesterday a hundred Düsseldorf boys and girls skipped school, simply staying at home as a statement to express their concern for our environment. Quite a temptation for me, too, I assure you! But then I said to myself: Can we really save the world by playing hooky? 

I am Carlota from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I am 16 years old and I go to the german Pestalozzi schule. Science has always been a very important topic in my school. All science related subjects are given the highest priority, and are taught not only in Spanish but also in English and in German on an everyday basis. I like to think of science as an instrument to create a better world for all of us. As a teenager, I see myself comitted to thinking about the future of my generation. Science is a powerful tool to shape those ideas into reality. This program is a great way to encourage us students from all over the world to think about our and how we can make it better and a sustainable place for everyone to live in.

My name is Dylan James Jones and I am in 10th grade at Urbana High School in Frederick, Maryland. I am a member of Jr. ROTC and plays lacrosse. I am excited to participate as a student Ambassador for the Planet Earth program.

My name is Ele Smalley and I am a freshman at Clarke County High School, Virginia, USA. This school year, I am taking all Honors courses including Honors Biology. Science is extremely interesting to me and I have always had a love for science. So many discoveries have been made in the field of science and have changed the world forever. I want to be part of the adventure of change. Fall of 2017 and 2018, I entered a STEM competition with four friends at Foxcroft School, Virginia,USA. The competition was a 5 hour event where teams of 4 were given a scenario and we had to come up with a solution. There were only a few teams and our team placed first in one of the challenges. Design Thinking to create solutions is how I will try to add value in the world.

USA

My name is Emma Michaux and I am a junior at Abiqua Academy High School. I am on a traveling debate team, covering 3 different types of debate. This year I am taking all AP classes, including AP Environmental Science. I’ve always been fascinated by the natural world and it saddens me to see it being destroyed. Even though my generation is going to see the the worst of climate change, we are still too young to enact policy. The best we can do is what this symposium is doing - educating ourselves and others.

My name is Jonah Zacks and I am a sophomore in St. Louis Missouri. I have grown up immersed in science, and that, especially in combination with public policy, has always fascinated me. I feel that politics and science have immense impacts on each other that are not always appreciated. I hope to participate in this program so as to find ways to take advantage of that relationship and bring greater awareness to all its potential advantages.

Singapore

My name is Kee Jin Wen and I’m from Singapore. Science research is one of my main interests and I have been engaged in research for the last 5 years. One of my projects in 12th grade: the invention of a novel optical biosensor for monitoring drug production, gave me an opportunity to represent Singapore at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2018, where I met many likeminded individuals who believe that science can be used to better the lives of others. I hope that being a student ambassador for the Planet Earth Symposium would spread the importance of environmental and sustainability challenges, and raise awareness of developing innovative solutions to climate change.

My name is Leopold von Berger. I attend the Brecht Schule in Hamburg, Germany. My favorite hobbies are tennis and soccer, being outside and going for a walk in our exciting forest with my dog. I am especially interested in the symposium on Planet Earth because I've always loved being outside, climbing trees and enjoying nature. Our family has always had all kinds of pets, from turtles to hamsters, to dogs and also horses. Last year I spent time in South Africa which had an especially big impact on me. While there I had the opportunity to see the beautiful landscapes and bright light of Africa but I also experienced some of its dark sides. One of these was to witness the aftermath of poachers hunting endangered species, like rhinos. My mind told me that this was wrong and that the whole world should know and worry about such topics. Being a Planet Earth Ambassador gives me the chance to articulate my concerns.

My name is Lotta Gallus, I’m 16 years old and I live in Berlin, Germany. I attend the Primo-Levi-Gymnasium school where the focus is on science. My class is bilingual, conducted in German and English. My favorite subject is Biology and starting next year this will be my concentration. I believe that we should all think about our future and the future of the planet that we are living on. I was very impressed by the Swedish girl who spoke at the UN in front of all those important people. It showed me that everyone can make a difference, no matter what age you are. For me it is very important to think about our world

and ways that we could improve planet earth. I am very happy to be a student Ambassador for this program, it offers a very good opportunity to learn and think more about this.

I am from Dallas, Texas and am in the 11th grade at The Hockaday School, an all girls' school that was founded over 100 years ago. I love the sciences and am hoping to study marine biology in college. I am particularly interested in marine mammals.

In April 2018, I entered a Hackathon with four friends at Earth X Dallas, the world's largest eco-conference and exhibition. The Hackathon was a 24 hour marathon event for teams of 2-5 people to use technology to solve real world issues. There were 80 teams and only two were high school teams, the other 78 teams were from colleges and graduate schools from across the country. My team won 1st place with an app we developed called "ROAMMATE" that would allow users to connect to use public transportation together to increase safety and reducing our carbon footprint.

I am looking forward to learning more from the renowned speakers attending the Planet Earth Symposium.

My name is Maj Bredahl Skånstrøm, and I am from Denmark.

I am in 9th grade in a danish school, and next year I will attend a Danish Gymnasium.

My family and I live in the northern part of Sjælland, near by forest and sea, there we live closely linked to nature which makes this program on Planet Earth especially important to me. 

I have always been interested in writing, and at the moment I think that I want to study journalism or literature. What fascinates me about journalism is the fact, that you can communicate complicated issues to a lot of people at the same time. I think it is important, that we come op with new ways of producing but also new ways of consuming. Fairtrade, and ethical production are subjects, that  I am deeply interested in. It makes a lot of sense to me, to be part of a network of young people who are focused on making a positive difference in the world.

My name is Mohnish Alishala and I am a junior at Scripps Ranch High School in San Diego, California. Last year, I had the opportunity of taking AP Biology, allowing me to open the door to the various fields of science. I learned how life functions from a macro to a micro level. For the past three years, I have been coaching Experimental Design for Science Olympiad at my local middle school, trying to encourage younger students to participate more in STEM activities. Being on Planet Earth’s student ambassadors is important to me because it's an incredible way to gather students from the entire world to work together and solve real world environmental concerns. 

My name is Sam Baumohl and I am from St. Louis Missouri, I’m interested in computer science, but have a love for debating policy and working to effect change for the better. I’ve always been interested in earth science and how we can work to live more sustainably and use science to create a better future earth.

USA

Sarah Crow is a 10th grader at The Hockaday School in Dallas, Texas. Hockaday, founded in 1913, provides a college preparatory education for girls (pre-k through 12th) of strong potential and diverse backgrounds who may be expected to assume positions of responsibility and leadership in a rapidly changing world. Sarah wholeheartedly pursues the Hockaday Mission: Believing in the limitless potential of girls, Hockaday develops resilient, confident women who are educated and inspired to lead lives of purpose and impact. Sarah is passionate about critical thinking and the study of science, technology and engineering, holding physics as her particular favorite. She loves the collaborative nature of solving science questions and delving into the unknown through experimentation. Sarah also loves inventing and building and has competed in national robotics competitions making it to the World Lego League Championships in 2017. This theme of changing the world for the better also applies to how she views planet Earth. “Earth is our only home for the foreseeable future. We need to ensure that it continues to be a great and sustainable place to live. We rely on its resources, so we must recognize how our activities alter the environment and climate and understand how to avoid change and risk to protect the planet. But also, the study and understanding of the earth is fascinating as it tells us of our own evolution and how our planet fits into the solar system.” Sarah is excited to be a student ambassador for the Planet Earth Symposium as it will be a great learning experience for her.

USA

Hi my name is Shaina Eagle and I am a junior in San Diego, California. Science, particularly chemistry, has been a passion of mine since I competed in the national science fair in the 8th grade. Now I work as a camp counselor at my local science center so I can share my passion for science and learning with others. I am very excited to participate in the Planet Earth Symposium so that I can help my peers participate actively in finding a solution to the problems that face our Earth.

My name is Tia Piziali and I am a sophomore at Georgetown Day School in Washington, DC where I am involved in the debate team, the mental health awareness club, am a student ambassador, and am a member of the varsity tennis and lacrosse teams. I am passionate about climate change, having witnessed the effects already wreaking havoc on three areas where I spend the most time: California, where there have been record-breaking wildfires this year, Washington DC, where rising sea levels are causing concerns for our historic and important monuments, and the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, where the pine forests are being decimated by tree-killing beetles, heat and drought. Climate change is a talked-about policy amongst millennials, and it is our generation that will make this a top policy priority. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report this fall stating that the effects of climate change are worse than previously expected. The time is now to do something and I look forward to learning more at the Planet Earth Symposium.