On February 26, 2016, WCA’s science teacher Brenda DeLuna accompanied four of her students, Victor Keroles, Hallie Santos, Jeannie Rim, and Deja Carrillo to Dana Point. Students were taught current methods of detecting plastic waste, attended workshops to discuss our dependence on plastic, and gave presentations on their current efforts to reduce plastic pollution and waste.
The WCA students said the summit was inspiring and eye-opening. After returning home, the students admitted to looking at their shampoo bottles and other containers to see if it was made of plastic. Jeannie Rim said, “It showed us how big our plastic problem is.”
These students are trying to start a recycling club at WCA to help in the fight against plastic pollution. Even though they are excited to begin, they know they have a lot of work ahead of them. However, they are not shying away from the workload; they have many ideas for their campus and hope to bring more awareness to their community. “It was great seeing how many people there who cared. There was a lot of faith and positivity; it gave us all hope,” said Deja Carrillo.