Courtnie White
Class of 2005 - Present
East Side Community H.S.
Topic: 2006 Study of Anthropogenic and Life Sounds Recorded Underwater off Pier 40 of the Hudson River
Topic: Zooplankton Populations in the Hudson Estery
About:
I was chosen to participate in Harlem Children Society for the summer. Honestly, I wasn't someone who had any interest in science at all. Through out middle school and junior high school science was my least favorite subject. In 9th grade my math teacher recommended me to Dr. Sat Bhattacharya and the next week I was interviewed.
I worked at Pier 26 during the summer of 2005. There I studied zooplankton (microscopic animals) and phytoplankton (microscopic plants). My job was to pay attention to the way zooplankton and phytoplankton reacts to the environment. I took samples of water from the Hudson River and then identified the zooplankton I found using a zooplankton key developed by the students at UNH ( University of New Hampshire ). One of the most exciting parts of my internship was working with professionals; People, who have been studying marine biology for more then their whole life, like my mentor Dr. Cathy Drew.
I absolutely loved my job and I was extremely excited about sharing what I've learned. Yes, there were plenty of times were I felt baffled, but professionals get confused from time to time too and most of the time confusion leads to curiosity or new ideas. For the first time in my life I found myself enjoying science (something I thought I would never do). I am currently in 10th grade and thinking about taking science to the next level, taking a minor in psychology when I go to college. If it weren't for Harlem Children Society I would not be the least interested in science. I fell too many students lose an interest in science by the time they get to High School.