Hello, My name is Luke Maillefer, I was born in a suburb outside of Chicago. Growing up I spent most my time outside, running around and exploring the great outdoors. Over the years spending time in nature has helped shape my identity and encouraged many of my interests. Going into the JASE expedition I am excited to learn more about Antarctica and the opportunities that will be revealed there.
Luke Maillefer
I am a Junior at Monona Grove High School, a small school located outside of Madison, Wisconsin that enduringly we call MG. At MG students we students are are encouraged to pursue our goals and to take the road to higher education. There is a strong sense of community at MG, mostly surrounding sports. I am also a huge supporter for our teams, but at times I feel like there is a lack of interest in other areas of the school, like science. I hope that going on this trip and sharing with my school our experiences will help spark more students interests in the science world. And also bring bring more attention to the science related activities going on in our school.
During the school year I am a three sport athlete, participating in Cross-Country, Swimming, and Tennis. Sports have always been a big part of my life, Sports have introduced me to some great people, helped me stay active, and learn how to be a team player. In school my favorite courses are usually History and Science. History provides me with information on the past, and Science gives me a better understanding of the world around me. Going on this trip will help me make connections between dry written labs and the actual methods that go on in field research.
Outside of school I enjoy reading, photography, hiking, art, running, birding (anything outdoors really), and hanging out with my friends and family. I volunteer at the UW Arboretum where I spend time walking trails and assisting with small research projects. Hobbies like photography and birding have helped me to appreciate nature. I also love to travel. Twice I have lived in Switzerland and I have also visited many other places around the world. Traveling has helped me experience new cultures, and environments, and given me a better understanding on how other people live their lives. I am excited to meet with students of different cultures on this trip and getting to know them.
For most of my life I have dreamed of becoming a Scientist. This trip will give me a chance to interact with people with similar interest to me, and also give me an insight to what the life of a scientist could look like. A lot of students do not get to study what they are interested in until college, so I feel very fortunate for this opportunity to have come to me in High School. I am super excited to participate in this trip of a lifetime and to see what it has in store!