Hello there! My name is John Bandek, and it is with great pride and honor to be the project manager for the Eco Squad team. Our mission is simple, yet extremely important -- both to our community and to the world that we live in. Our aim is to bring an actual change to the life-threatening issue of plastic pollution. We, unlike other teams and organizations, do not only speak about change, but we are here to be the change. It is important to remember that the lives of thousands of species lies within our hands when it comes to an issue like this. Although I have several future ambitions in mind, I always wanted to become a scientist, more specifically a microbiologist, and this project will not only enhance my skills, but also my knowledge in the field. I am excited to work close with all the team members and to execute a successful project, which will truly help our schools, community, and ultimately our world. Grade Level | 12th Grade Future Ambition | Microbiologist
Leon Arapi | Assistant Project Manager
Hi! My name is Leon Arapi, and I am the Assistant Project Manager for our group. I work very closely with our manager, John, to make sure we know what the next step is and how it's going to help our community. I'm also in charge of all of our social media, including this website, and working with administrators at our school to get permission for everything we're doing and fill out paperwork for the district. I'm very passionate about this project because I believe that the environment is important, and it is our job to protect it. I look forward to expanding our project and working with my group and my school for the betterment of our community.
My name is Karina Khachaturova and I am a senior at Clark Magnet High School. Im in charge of writing our action plan, making presentations and helping draft business letters. I am in charge of communications in the group. I have to make sure that every member of my group knows what is going on in the project. I am proud to be a member of Eco Squad, because together we're making real change in our community. The Lexus Eco Challenge is very inspiring, it makes us think about how we can improve the world around us. Working on this project has helped me understand the great impact that a very small group of people can have, and I look forward to working with my group throughout the rest of this year to keep the our community green.
My name is Dro Vasghanian and I’m in charge of the PR department. I am responsible for finding the Elkay bottle filling station that best fits our criteria, as well as working to get it installed at our school. I also work with Demetrio in communications where we deal with contacting company representatives and the school district. Any communications (be it via email etc.) dealing with the project go through me and my partner. My job here has taught me how to write formal letters and deal with business matters on a professional level, these skills will be important later when working in a business environment. I love our planet and working with my group to protect it and make a real change in our community is very fulfilling.
Grade Level | 12th Grade Future Ambition | Marine Corps
Demetrio Rebollo | Public Representative
Hi, I'm Demetrio, and I am a public representative for the Clark Magnet Eco Squad. My job is to organize things for public outreach in our community, such as organizing for our members to mentor middle school students on the dangers of waste and plastics. Along with emailing companies and organizations so that we can receive aid for our cause. Along with my partner Dro, I work with company representatives and the school district. I help revise all of the E-mails that go through our official account, and if you contact us I will most likely be the one who responds to you. I find my work very fulfilling, because in the end, we are only a small group of people with ideas to help the world be a better place. One bottle at a time.
Grade Level | 12th Grade Future Ambition | Marine Corps
Michelle Hernandez |Graphic Designer Hi!!! My name is Michelle Hernandez and I’m a senior at Clark Magnet High School. I am so excited to be working on this eco project because I truly believe that it will make a difference in our community. All our team members contribute their unique talents and together we are able to carry out this amazing project. I do most of the designing which include posters, our eco squad polos, flyers and our eco squad logo. As a designer in our team I work on designing the reusable water bottles that we will be distributing to our school in an effort to reduce the amount of plastic water bottles we use. Hopefully with our team we are able to raise awareness of plastic waste that ends up in our oceans and offer a way to help our planet one school district at a time.
Grade Level | 12th Grade Future Ambition | Professor
Arineh Moradian | Graphic Designer
Hey! My name is Arineh Moradian. I’m a senior in high school.. I’m very ambitious and I plan on being very successful, hence why I decide to join environmental GIS. My ambition and determination will help our team succeed and create a project that will help improve our community. I help out in designing and presentations. One of my greatest strengths are public speaking, and I'm very excited to get our point across to influence the next generation in a positive way, that will not only help themselves but their environment around them. The impact that we can have on the world is immense, and it’s our job to create that impact.