Meet the 2016 Video Contest Winners
From left to right: CWF board member, PSEG manager Russ Furnari, CWF communications Manager Lindsay McNamara, first place winner Joseph Hernandez, third place winner Maya Ravichandran and PSEG Program Officer Lisa Gleason. Not pictured: second place winner Spencer Monhollen.
First Place: Joseph Hernandez
CWF's 2016 first place winner and recipient of a $1,000 scholarship is Joseph Hernandez a senior in high school in Great Meadows, New Jersey. For the contest, Joseph created an impressive, captivating and informative video titled 'The Secrets of Vernal Pools.'
Joe Hernandez, 18, has been a fan of all forms of wildlife since he was born. Unlike most teenagers his age, he uses every excuse in the book to find a way to be outdoors. While he’s outside, he spends most of his time looking at birds, herps, insects, and fish, but he also enjoys biking and hiking.
Even when he’s indoors, he often takes his hobby of being a wildlife enthusiast into the technological world, especially when it comes to writing. In 2013, Joe decided to create a blog named “The Naturalist Nook” to share his knowledge about nature through his hobby.
In the future, he hopes to create more nature-related videos during his college years at Stockton University, while preparing for a career as a naturalist or marine biologist.
Second Place: Spencer Monhollen
Spencer Monhollen, CWF's 2016 second place winner and $500 scholarship recipient is a sophomore at Oakcrest High School in Mays Landing, New Jersey. For the contest, Spencer produced an excellent video focusing on New Jersey's bog turtles.
He is part of his school’s media program. Spencer plans to go to into the field of Marine Biology and 'throw his love of photography into' his Marine Biology career. He enjoys the outdoors and likes to longboard or ride his bike when it’s nice out. His favorite hobbies include scuba diving when on vacations, long boarding, photographing scenic landscapes, and the occasional solving of a Rubik’s cube.
Third Place: Maya Ravichandran
CWF's 2016 third place winner and $250 scholarship recipient Maya Ravichandran is a junior at High Technology High School in Lincroft, New Jersey. For the contest, she created a video which showcases a number of bird species throughout the Garden State and threats to their survival.
Maya would like to pursue a career in a STEM field. She would also like to continue to support wildlife conservation efforts in her future, especially through preventing habitat destruction. Her favorite thing to do for fun is to spend time outside. Her favorite hobbies are bird-watching and programming.
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