Cranston West Student Chosen for Exclusive NOAA Summer Ocean Program

Click on the image to watch a brief video interview and glimpse at the aquaculture program's classroom at the Cranston Area Career and Technical Center.

Emily Tilton, a junior at , spent her April vacation writing a series of essays, including one on paramecium cultures.

It was a gamble, but it paid off.

Tilton has been selected as one of eleven American students to participate in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s “Ocean for Life" program this summer.

She will join 15 students from the greater Middle East on a trip to the National Marine Sanctuary in Santa Barbara, Ca., where they will study ocean ecosystems.

The application process was rigorous and Tilton was required to display her passion for the ocean ecosystem through five essays on culture and marine biology. She also had to pitch her plan on how to bring the mission of the program — to foster cultural understanding by studying the ocean — back home once the two-week program ends.

“I didn’t expect to get selected since so many people applied,” Tilton said. “I hope to get a new experience and discover something I didn’t expect.”

Acceptance into the program is a prestigious honor. Tilton is the only student who hails from New England and was chosen among hundreds of applicants to the exclusive educational opportunity.

An honor student at Cranston west, Tilton is enrolled in the aquaculture program taught by Leonard Baker, a marine biology instructor. The classroom is home to a nearly 1,000 pound catfish, stacks of fresh and saltwater aquariums, an alligator, and burgeoning small-scale tilapia and oyster farms. Students from the Cranston Area Career and Technical Center and Cranston West learn about the ocean and marine ecosystems hands-on.

In that classroom, Tilton has steadily developed her expertise on marine science. She took home the gold medal last year for Skills USA RI and finished sixth in the division in Kansas City. She won the state bronze medal this year.

It all started when she was a young girl and saw a Disney documentary on the ocean that “really opened my eyes,” Tilton said. “I was amazed by how they did the picture and explored organisms and animals I’ve never seen before.”

In her sparked a love for marine biology, so it’s extra nice she’s getting the chance to go to Santa Barbara.

There, she’ll be exposed to marine science, conservation issues and be taught how the ocean connects all the world’s people. NOAA’s “national marine sancturaries provide the optimal setting for this unique opportunity to enhance cross-cultural relationships, while creating a stewardship ethic for the ocean and the universal human experience,” the program’s website states.

Students in 2009 studied coral reefs, fisheries and learned about sea grass and mangrove tree protection efforts on snorkeling expeditions. They had kayak trips, visit to research centers and saw interactive presentations by experts in the field, and more.

Students document their experiences and are mentored by people from National Geographic and American University’s Center for Environmental filmmaking to develop media projects.

And upon her return, Tilton will be required to bring back the message that we are all connected by the ocean and we can strengthen ties by becoming better stewards of the environment.

Along with her passion for marine biology, Tilton finished fourth in the Rhode Island Allstate Music Festival this year, studies flute under the direction of John Curran from the Rhode Island Philharmonic and is a varsity hockey, lacrosse and volleyball player.

“This is a pretty amazing honor for Emily and all of us,” said her mom, Sharon.