Two eco-minded students win Ocean Journey Scholarships to explore the Galápagos

Read more about: animals, community, conservation, education, environment, expedition, islands, marine, oceans, research, scholarship, students, volunteer

Blue Ocean Institute & Lindblad Expeditions have awarded their 2nd annual Kalpana Chawla Ocean Journey Scholarship to a 17-year-old student who emigrated from Vietnam to California,  and a 16 year-old from New Jersey for selflessly supporting their communities’ environmental programs.

17-year-old Khanh Nguyen of Lawndale, CA, who has actively volunteered at a non-profit coastal environmental education facility, and 16 year-old Delphine Slotten of Mendham, NJ, who started the first recycling program in her county, will embark on a Lindblad Expeditions’ voyage to the Galápagos Islands in July.

Accompanied by skilled scientists, naturalists, and  researchers, the Scholarship winners will explore the unique ecosystem of the Galápagos archipelago, observing and studying the distinct wildlife that calls it home.

Since 2007, the Kalpana Chawla Ocean Journey Scholarship is awarded in honor of Kalpana Chawla, an astronaut who perished aboard the Columbia Space Shuttle in 2003. Her abiding love of the ocean and her interest in the work of Blue Ocean President and Co-Founder, Dr. Carl Safina, led her to bring Safina’s acclaimed book, Song for the Blue Ocean, on her final mission.

A year after her death, her family and friends established the Kalpana Chawla Spirit of Columbia Fund at Blue Ocean, which supports the Ocean Journey Scholarship. In honor of Chawla’s profound connection with the ocean and concern for its conservation, the scholarship is designed to introduce students who are passionate about the oceans to wonderful marine habitats they would otherwise not have the opportunity to visit.

“You can’t really become an expert unless you experience what you’re studying,” said Dr. Carl Safina, Co-Founder of Blue Ocean Institute. “For young people with dreams of entering the world of science, being in it for real is vital. With this scholarship, we are happy to give them this chance and to honor Kalpana’s adventurous, courageous spirit.”

Nguyen and Slotten will journey to the Galápagos island chain, which is located 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador in mid-July. In addition to observing the island’s famous inhabitants – blue-footed boobies, frigate birds, marine iguanas, tortoise, penguins and sea lions – they’ll also have an opportunity to swim, snorkel and hike through the land of Darwin.

“It’s a great pleasure to introduce young people to the world and the notion of exploration,” said Sven Lindblad, President and Founder of Lindblad Expeditions. “My own life was strongly influenced by a mentor who introduced me to the importance of conservation and I look forward to learning how this experience shapes the winners’ lives.”

Nguyen, who begins her senior year at the California Academy of Mathematics and Science this fall, is a nature lover who lives in urban Los Angeles. She volunteers at the SEA Lab, a small marine center in the area where she takes care of the marine life and gives tours of the facilities.

In addition, Nguyen runs her school’s an environmental club.

Slotten, who recently completed 10th grade at the Newark Academy in Livingston, New Jersey, has an active interest in conservation. She is actively involved in community service at a local nature preserve where she contributes to visitor education, cares for animals and conducts research on areas of the preserve

Throughout the voyage, Nguyen and Slotten will keep journals to record their daily observations, experiences, and personal thoughts. Samples of their writing will be posted on the Blue Ocean Institute website later this year.

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