I can honestly say that this has not only been the best summer of my life, it has also included my favorite experience. This summer, specifically the last three weeks of it, I was based in Fiji participating in a Critical Issues program through Rustic Pathways. We were learning about climate change and its effects on marine life. Our work included plating new coral in reefs and mangroves, removing "COTS" (crown of thorns), which are a reef predator that can be disastrous to the health of coral, and having in-depth discussions on climate change and plastic usage and its detrimental effects on the ocean and ocean life. I have fallen in love with the culture after being warmly welcomed into a Fijian village named Somo Somo, and meeting one of the only two female Chiefs in Fiji. This program has made me more aware about the problems in our oceans — I am even more passionate now about conserving our oceans. I hope to use this amazing experience as a subject for my Senior Capstone this year while continuing to spread awareness and move the conversation about global preservation forward.

This summer has been amazing so far, but is flying by! I have spent a month at the beach in Ocean City, NJ and have been interning for a Cannabidiol (CBD) company out in Berkeley, CA. The company makes CBD oil that is then put into products like creams and tinctures which help people with a variety of illnesses. I am helping with social media and blogging about CBD and its many applications, including insomnia, chronic pain, seizure disorders and anxiety. I am very passionate about this as I have a rare disease and have been taking hemp-derived CBD for the past five months. Since then, all of my hair has grown back, (I have alopecia areata and had experienced about 60% hair loss), my fevers are gone, and my joint pain has definitely gotten better. I am in the process of getting sponsored for a research study on CBD and alopecia at Temple University where I will get to work in the lab helping to prove that CBD can be used to help treat alopecia. I will also be speaking at a CBD conference in California in September. I'm very excited to share what I have learned with anyone who could potentially benefit from this miracle plant.