MVHS Poseidon Academy Students Visit Australia

Publication Info: Imperial Beach Eagle & Times

Publication Date: August 3, 2018

For four Mar Vista students, the summer of 2018 will never be forgotten. On June 21 upcoming seniors at Mar Vista High School, Alexis Bowlby, Guillermo Gonzales, Ethan Hadley, and Damon Thomas, along with their teacher, Mario Olmos, boarded their plane with a fifteen hour flight ahead of them.They would travel over the pacific ocean, across the equator and the International Date Line, to Auckland, New Zealand, where their adventure would begin. Extending over two weeks, the trip took them from Rotorua, New Zealand, all the way to Cairns, Australia. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that was made possible through Mar Vista High School’s Poseidon Academy.

The Poseidon Academy was started by Mario Olmos and John Ashley. It’s a science based program with an emphasis on marine biology. The academy hosts various experiences for its participants. For example: every year the sophomore Poseidon class visits the Catalina Island Marine Institute and stays for about three days learning all about marine life. Ashley explained his reasoning for starting the academy, “I wanted to provide local kids ocean experience.”

When asked what the goal was for the Poseidon Academy at its start Olmos replied, “I started the Poseidon Academy with the goal of keeping a lot of our local talent interested in attending Mar Vista. The cool thing is that it worked. Parents started sending their kids here. No other school offers the Poseidon Academy experience.”

The trip itinerary had four destinations: Rotorua, New Zealand; Auckland, New Zealand; Sydney, Australia; and Cairns, Australia. Each place was jam-packed with activities and history. The students learned all about the Maori Culture in New Zealand. Additionally they were taught about the rich agriculture across the country. They experienced all of the natural beauty of the country doing things like forest gondola rides and ziplining.

Hadley noted, “In New Zealand I honestly just loved how open it was since I’m not a huge fan of city life. There was another breathtaking view at every corner.”

In Australia, they were taught about the origins of the continent, participating in historic tours, and visiting world-famous places, such as the Sydney Opera House, or Bondi Beach. When asked about his favorite thing about Sydney, Gonzales replied, “I loved how the city was filled with life at all times, there was never a dull moment. There was always something to do and somewhere new to explore.”

The most anticipated part of the trip for the Mar Vista group was snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Cairns, Australia. They observed the wildlife up-close, seeing parrot fish, stingrays, and even a sea turtle. They also participated in a semi-submersible tour of the reef, in which the guide highlighted the coral bleaching. Bowlby commented, “The coral bleaching was evident, it was really sad to see. You see it in pictures but you can’t really understand the true magnitude until you see it in person. The reef is the world’s largest living thing, that’s something worth saving.”

Overall, the trip to New Zealand and Australia was extremely beneficial for the Mar Vista group. “I’m so glad that I went on this once in a lifetime trip. I gained so many memories and experiences. Before this trip I’d never even been on a plane, or out of the country,” said Thomas. “The Poseidon Academy has allowed me to learn about science in and out of the classroom.”

The trip provided more than just scientific knowledge. It also allowed the students to go through the travel process and learn about different cultures. “For students it was an opportunity to be away from their parents and learn to navigate an airport, go through customs, and experience some independence,” Olmos explained, “In New Zealand they were able to experience the Maori culture. In Australia students were able to live in Sydney for four days and learn about the history of the founding of Australia.”

The students and their teacher from Mar Vista will forever carry the experiences and memories of this once-in-a-lifetime excursion. Bowlby hopes that there will be more trips like this in the future of the Poseidon Academy, “I would’ve never thought I’d be able to go to Australia, but I got the chance. I hope future Poseidon students will get that chance too.”