Dear [NAME],

Every summer, Shedd Aquarium provides 20 of the brightest high school students
with the opportunity to set sail for the Bahamas and get hands-on experience with
marine biology. Here at Shedd we value our students, providing them with an
opportunity to be a part of a program like no other! From behind the scenes,
working with Shedd experts, to having the chance to set sail in the Bahamas
Shedds High School Marine Biology (HSMB) program has been attracting students
for the last 41 years.
While this program is exciting for us, we hope youll be excited to learn that one of
the students attending this years trip resides in your area and will have a story to
tell unlike any other. Joshua is a junior at Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School who
found his way to the Shedd Aquarium to expand his knowledge on a topic that
makes his heart beat a little faster.
His love for the outdoors, water, and exploration led Joshua to join the Shedds
HSMB program in late June. After orientation, Joshua completed preparatory
experiments, activities and classroom discussions to grasp the fundamentals of
marine biology. Once done, Joshua and other students set out on July 1 for Bimini,
Bahamas where they lived aboard Shedds research vessel, the R/V Coral Reef II. In
the Bahamas, the students took their knowledge out to sea as they conducted
research and examined coral reef organisms while gaining an appreciation for
conservation. Joshua states that he will never forget snorkeling in the mangroves
and having stingrays swim within a foot of him! Being a part of such a program has
taught Joshua how to cooperate as a team, while gaining real-life experience in the
field he loves. Joshua plans on pursuing veterinary medicine in the future, giving
thanks to the Shedd for helping him figure out his career path along the way.
Joshuas week-long adventure wrapped up on July 8, and will be followed by a final
week of in-class activities at Shedd from July 29 July 31.
We hope youre interested in finding out more about Joshuas adventure to Bimini
and sharing it with your community. Joshua is also available for interviews. Please
contact me at MFASEL@sheddaquarium.org if you have any questions.
For more information about the HSMB Program, visit
http://www.sheddaquarium.org/Learning-Experiences/Teen-Programs/High-SchoolMarine-Biology/.
Best,
Maddie
Madeline Fasel
Intern, Communications and Public Relations
John G. Shedd Aquarium
c 847.913.6603

www.sheddaquarium.org