Reflection

Reflection

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill made headlines back in 2010. I was only in fourth grade at the time, but I remember looking at pictures of the oil rig with my teacher in science class. I was obsessed with the topic, diligently keeping up with the latest stories on the disaster on the five o’clock news. I even wrote blog posts about the spill (with admittedly horrible grammar) on Scholastic Kids message boards. As time when on, I observed firsthand the effects the disaster had on my community. Whether it was because of the stories I heard from my parent’s friends or the pictures of oil-dosed animals I saw online, the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill caused me to become a strong advocate for good stewardship of the earth.

In addition to my love for the environment, I also have a love for technology. I have been tinkering with computers longer than I can remember, and now that I’m in high school I’ve been teaching myself how to do computer animation. This was my first big project, and I thought it was a great opportunity to combine my technological skills with my enthusiasm for the environment. From both standpoints, I am very proud of how it turned out. I’m not really aspiring for my video to hit the YouTube popular page or go viral on Twitter; I just hope that my video will send a positive and empowering message to the small group of people that will watch it. The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill gave meaning to water pollution for me, and I hope my video will give meaning to someone else.