My name is Alexandra Stendahl, Alex for short. I live in Portland, Oregon, with my mom and my younger brother, aged 12. I have just finished my junior year at Oregon Episcopal School. My favorite subjects in school are science and math; however, I also enjoy Spanish, my second language. I love to travel and have been lucky enough to go to both Guatemala and Spain, which has helped with my fluency. At school, I tutor younger students, including teaching math in Spanish to students who are native Spanish speakers.
Outside of school, I am primarily an athlete. I play three varsity sports: in the fall, I play soccer, in the winter, I play basketball and in the spring, I play both lacrosse and JV tennis. I also play year round lacrosse on a club team and attend various tournaments on both the west and east coasts. I love spending time with my brother – we often go on bike rides or play basketball in the backyard. Additionally, on Saturdays, I work as a swim instructor at my local pool, teaching kids ages 3-12 how to swim and water safety skills.
Last summer I interned in the Physics Department at Portland State University researching a more efficient way to purify wastewater. I am very interested in what is going on in my community and how I can make a difference.
I am very excited to be a part of the 2014 JSEP team, as JSEP will give me the opportunity to continue learning about my scientific passion. I view this expedition as a way to not only continue and expand my long-term interest in scientific polar research but to also become more culturally in tune with people who live close to the polar region. I am excited to make friends with the other four students from the United States but also those from Greenland and Denmark. I can’t wait to travel to Greenland!
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