A Glendale student is among 19 young adults aged 17 to 20 selected for a ResilienSEA Externship with EarthEcho International, a nonprofit dedicated to building a global youth movement to protect and restore our ocean planet.

The 2023 class includes Glendale resident Sarika Sawant, a current graduate student at Arizona State University studying shark morphology in relation to marine heatwaves. Sawant completed her undergraduate studies in medical studies while studying bite force in sleeper sharks.

She is passionate about connecting climate change to its effect on marine life and has an interest in policy work.

This inaugural program unites 19 youth, ages 17-20, from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities across North America, for a hands-on career development experience.

The initiative introduces participants to the field of regenerative ocean aquaculture – ocean “farming” that restores coastal habitats while creating both economic and ecological benefits.

The ResilienSEA Externship program is made possible through the generous support of La Mer Blue Heart Oceans Fund and The Estée Lauder Companies Travel Retail division.

“Often the communities most vulnerable to sea level rise and increasingly intense storms are those whose members have been cut off to daily access to waters that are vital to their communities for both cultural and economic reasons,” Stacey Rafalowski, EarthEcho International chief program officer, shared in a news release. “We look forward to working with this talented group of young people in their journey to make a lasting impact in their communities and beyond.”

An eight-week virtual and in-person program will convene in San Diego this August.

The paid ResilienSEA Externship provides participants with an opportunity to learn from and network with professionals in the field of regenerative ocean aquaculture and seaweed innovation, participate in a hands-on job shadowing experience, and engage in peer learning to build confidence and competence to take action in externs’ home communities, with a focus on using entrepreneurship to tackle ocean health challenges.

The 2023 ResilienSEA externs represent communities in Canada and the United States: