Help me learn how to save the oceans one day!

Hi! My name is Mikel Hackett and I am a 15 year old student that attends Cheltenham High school.  My goal for this fundraiser is to raise enough money so that I can have a chance to join my fellow scholars on an educational trip to Costa Rica! This trip is not a vacation trip, it is for educational purposes and we will be visiting Carara National Park to study the rainforest, Hacienda Baru National Wildlife Refuge to birdwatch, Identify coastal plants and study wind patterns, Marino Ballena National Park to study whales and Cetacean species, Butterfly Botanical Garden to study different species of butterflies and their reproduction process, Manuel Antonio National Park to search for rare wildlife such as the slother and various species of monkeys, participate in the volunteering project, and go on the outrigger Canoe Tour to study colorful fish in the clear waters. I have always had an interest in nature while growing up. I lived in the suburbs, where there were small woods and trails that went on for miles. My favorite thing that I used to do was to go on little adventures with friends. We would bring fishing rods, backpacks full of sandwiches, and water with us and spend the entire day searching for crayfish and flipping rocks for worm bait. We all knew the best fishing spots and we could navigate those trails even with our eyes closed. 5 years later, I have discovered that I now have an interest to become a Marine Biologists after looking back at the things I enjoyed as a child. I have always loved nature and everything about it and this trip is full of it. This Costa Rica trip that I’m raising money for would help me take a great first step towards my passion. I am taking a Marine Science course now and it has helped increase my knowledge on the topic which is great, but learning in an actual environment surrounded by multiple marine birds and animals that I've never seen before would be something that I would dream of coming true. I have been working hard my entire academic career. I'm a straight A student and I've always made honor roll and have been inducted into the Black Scholars Program. This educational trip would be one of the first steps in exploring my current career path of Marine Biology. I care about the ocean so much because there's much life that deserves to be saved inside of it, and I want to help keep the animals and plants inside of it healthy and safe. My goal is to attend college after graduating high school and become a full time marine biologists that studies not only fish, but also marine algaes, and species of coral. Marine birds, and marine mammals that inhabit the ocean. I also want to help study and save the great barrier reef which is currently dying in Australia. I care so much about the ocean because there's so much life that deserves to be saved down there and I want to help keep the animals inside of it healthy and safe. 


The total amount for a student to go on this trip is $2,897 dollars which would cover the following, all money is due by March 2nd.

Round trip transportation
Sightseeing transportation
Admission fees 
The course leader
Field Journals
24-Hour Emergency Support
Opportunity to earn free school credit
Evening Activities
All Meals
Quality hotel accommodations
Accident/health insurance
Online educational resources