Alisha Fredriksson has something significant to celebrate this Christmas and its not gifts under the tree.
The Prince of Wales mini school student won a $15,000 scholarship through the Leacross Foundation to join a two-week Students on Ice Antarctic expedition. She leaves Boxing Day.
Fredriksson is one of three Lower Mainland girls, and a total of five in Canada, to win this particular grant, which is aimed at young women.
Shell be part of a larger group of 60 studentsmost are from Canada and the United States this trip, although a few are from other countries. Thirty scientists, artists, historians, polar experts, authors, educators, and explorers will accompany them. Activities include lectures, shore landings, interpretive hikes and Zodiac cruises.
The entire group, which meets in Argentina, will enjoy two days of pre-expedition activities in Ushuaiathe southern-most city in the worldand its surrounding region, before boarding the specially designed ice-class M/V Ushuaia expedition vessel Dec. 30. The ship will sail across the Drake Passage towards Antarctica. Students will experience almost 24-hour daylight during the journey and see wildlife such as Adelie and Gentoo penguins.
My family travelled a lot when I was younger and just this summer we did a big trip to Europe, so travelling is definitely one of my passions, said Fredriksson. Its an incredible opportunity to make lots of new friends itll be interesting to learn from them and to work with them because theyll have such different perspectives than I would. Itll have a really strong, lasting impact on my view of climate change because thats what the expedition focuses on.
The 16-year-old Grade 11 student said the temperatures wont be too coldshes been informed theyll hover between -10 Celsius and 10 Celsius.
Im really excited about all the opportunities for photography because I really like photography. One of the things Im most excited about is to see all the penguins because thats something you dont get to do every day, she said.
Geoff Green, the founder and expedition leader for the Quebec-based Students on Ice, said Fredriksson and the other teens are among a privileged group of youth, who are able to visit Antarctica on the floating classroom.
It will be quite a life-altering experience for them. It will expose them to all kinds of issues. Itll give them a much broader perspective of the planet they live on and going to Antarctica is kind of like going to another planet, he said.
This will mark Greens 80th trip to Antarctica. He said the students on the voyage will have a responsibility to return home and share what they learn. Its very overwhelming. Its very humbling and it changes people no matter what age they are. It exposes them to all kinds of knowledgefrom the sciences to environmental issues, from history to politics. Itll show them possible career options they might want to pursue, but the core underlying experience is a connection to nature that I hope will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
Students on Ice provides students from around the world with educational expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica. Since 2000, nearly 1,800 high school and university students from more than 40 countries have visited Polar Regions through the program.
Twitter: @Naoibh
