Bryn Fleming competed at the North Carolina Blue Heron Bowl in 2021 and 2022 with her Wilson Hill Academy teammates. As an avid learner interested in marine science, she served as a Senior Research Associate working with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries at the Beaufort Lab in North Carolina as a data recorder on a photo-identification project. That project will ultimately produce an estimate of the population of the North Carolina estuarine stock of Bottlenose dolphins. Bryn will attend North Carolina State University and major in Chemistry with a minor in Environmental Science. She noted that her participation in the NOSB helped her discover the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps, leading to her current career goal of joining the Corps after college.

Justin Leong, with his Lynbrook High School (San Jose, California) team members, competed at the Sea Lion Bowl from 2020 to 2022. Justin likes to find unique and inventive solutions to problems. He created a Chrome extensions on his own that were designed to help his fellow classmates with other classes. Under the guidance of Scripps Institute of Oceanography postdocs, he worked in marine robotics through the Hacking4Oceans program, creating an autonomous boat that mapped out a body of water to identify areas of concern, such as plankton blooms or chemical spills. He also worked with Stanford University’s Center for Ocean Solutions, helping detect and predict illegal fishing events through analyzing satellite imagery with machine learning models. Justin will attend Stanford University, majoring in Earth Systems and Computer Science, where he hopes to merge his interests in computer programming, oceanography, and climate with the tech industry, taking classes on artificial intelligence (AI), physical oceanography, and robotics.

Arshi Mahajan competed at the Blue Heron Bowl with her Raleigh Charter High School (North Carolina) team, serving as the team captain for three years. In addition to her interest in ocean science, she exhibits a strong affinity for supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and representation in science. When learning to model climate change, she hoped to shed light on the hidden populations suffering from climate change. Arshi’s goal is to use her passions for data science and environmental science to solve environmental concerns of overlooked communities. For example, she noted that the frequency of tropical storms leads to women being deprived of education as they are taken out of school to help their families recover.

She added “representation is extremely important if you would like to tackle an issue from all sides.” Arshi will attend Dartmouth College majoring in Environmental Sciences.

Sailor Reynolds competed at the Spoonbill Bowl in 2021 and 2022 on a team from Navarre High School in Florida. As part of the Navarre Beach Marine Science program, she taught school groups and participates in beach clean ups, dune restoration, water quality monitoring, and an Autism OdysSea event. She’s monitored water quality in the Santa Rosa Sound and searched for Red Tide off Navarre Beach in the Gulf of Mexico during her senior year. While she has a strong passion for the ocean and ocean sciences, she understands that science must be communicated in a way that making abstract concepts relevant to people. She has a natural ability to learn tough scientific concepts and to communicate her knowledge clearly and concisely. Sailor will attend Auburn University majoring in Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Science.

Malia Yalisove competed at the Great Lakes Bowl for three years with her team from Dexter High School in Michigan. Application reviews and letters of recommendation highlighted her strong and determined personality, especially as it related to her NOSB team. After an advisor retired, a large number of previous team members graduated, and COVID-19 restrictions were put into place, many worried about the future of the school’s NOSB club. Malia refused to let her beloved club end and was instrumental in organizing outdoor team practices until the weather became too frigid and then arranged for online meetings and practices through the school year. To ensure the continuation of the club, she recruited a new advisor, quadrupled membership, and planned and executed lessons and activities, including a team trip to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. Malia will attend the University of California, Berkeley and major in Marine Science.

Jonathan Zhao competed at the Los Angeles Surf Bowl for three years, serving as captain of his Temple City High School (California). In addition to the NOSB, Jonathan showed interest in programs that would give him the opportunity to bolster his mathematical and science knowledge. He served as a researcher as part of the Caltech Summer Research Connection program, working with a mentor to improve his research skills. Jonathan also volunteered to assist others in his school and community. In the Infinity Math Circle Program, Jonathan served as a student instructor, teaching math lessons to elementary and middle school. He taught a group of students in the topics of logic, operations with other number bases, and cryptography. He also served as a Link Crew leader at his school, helping first years get acclimated to the high school by leading Freshmen Orientation, small group check-ins and social events. Jonathan will attend Brown University and major in Geosciences with a focus on oceanography, geochemistry and sustainability. He plans to enroll in remote sensing classes and participate in undergraduate research in “Oceans, Ice and Atmospheres.”