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Alessandro Vidal is Palmer Trinity School’s Silver Knight nominee in Science. He’s also a semi-finalist for the $20,000 Coca Cola Scholarship, a prestigious academic and service-based scholarship.
In ninth grade, Vidal co-founded his own research organization initiative called Microplastics 305.
“It is student-led research addressing microplastic pollution across South Florida,” he says.
“It’s in our waterways. I partnered with a PhD researcher at Florida International University. She was doing research on microplastics as well.”
Vidal says he shadowed the researcher and learned how to take efficient samples.
“I trained my own cohort of 25 students in sampling and lab analysis techniques,” he says..
“We took over 35 samples throughout 20 plus sites.”
Those sites included Matheson Hammock, the Deering Estate, and Crandon Park.
“On top of the research and analysis, I organized shoreline clean ups to remove microplastic debris,” he says. “We had different methods to separate microplastic from organic materials and hosted over 300 volunteers. We removed over 450 pounds of microplastic debris.”
They also picked up larger pieces of trash. But the main focus was sifting through the sand to get the microplastics.
“The big pieces break down over time due to weathering,” he says. “They have been found in our water, the fish we eat, and even our bodies.”
His interest in microplastics and its impact on the environment stems from his love of fishing and the ocean.
“My dad taught me to fish at Key Biscayne,” he says. “Seeing that ecosystem and my community being so destroyed and mistreated motivated me. I wanted to find a solution.”
He’s also trying to get the word out. In the past year, Vidal met with Karyn Cunningham, Palmetto Bay’s mayor, and the village’s sustainability and resilience planner, Andrea Candelaria.
Vidal is also an ambassador for the nonprofit Miami Waterkeeper.
“I am the leadership board manager,” he says. “It’s the highest position for someone in high school. As the manager I direct a cohort of 50 plus members. I act as the mentor for the new leadership members. I teach them how to strengthen youth engagement.”
When he first joined the group, there were only 20 ambassadors from schools all over South Florida.
Along with conducting beach clean-ups, they go to public hearings to give statements about proposed laws and their effect on the environment.
“We work closely with government partners to merge environmental science and public engagement,” he says.
At school, he’s president of the Investment and Entrepreneurship Club, expanding the membership from 25 members to 180.
“The goal is to advance financial literacy among younger students. I’ve put in my own environmental touch. We manage our school’s $150,000 portfolio.”
Currently they are leading a team of six students in the Wharton Global Youth Investment Competition.
Vidal is the committee chair for Palmer Trinity’s STEM Student Council. They’ve done four events with interactive showcases that have reached more than 800 students. They helped the school compete in the Dream in Green Challenges, where they were finalists.
Vidal is a student ambassador, giving admissions tours, and helps at open houses.
This past summer he did a month-long internship at Terra Bank.
His college list includes the University of Michigan, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the University of Florida. He’s applying as a double major in business management and sustainable studies.
Last year he founded GreenGrowth Consulting, a pro bono sustainability advisory firm. The goal is to help small businesses make money while also helping them become more environmentally friendly.
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
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