2019 High School Winners

Lyssa Frank and her co-producer, Katie Jacomides, are 10^th graders at McNeil High School in Austin, Texas. Lyssa first learned of the video contest in her ninth grade World Geography class, and “thought it would be a really cool opportunity” since it aligns with her passion in protecting the earth. Already having familiarity with ocean ecosystems, she decided to produce a video in the Preserving Biodiversity category. While doing more in depth research on the topic, Lyssa and Katie were surprised to learn of the implications population growth has on ocean life. They found most striking the rate at which sea species are impacted by pollutants and chose this as the focus of their video.

Lyssa has had previous experience using stop-motion, but never for a video contest. In an effort to produce a compelling argument, Lyssa and Katie “personified the animals in the video by giving them a voice.” Lyssa says, “we thought this was a more interesting approach than simply stating facts.” This is the first contest award either of them have won, and they pointed to a technical error as the most challenging part of the process. Overall, they both enjoyed the video production process, stating, “it was a great opportunity to educate ourselves on the issue and it was fun to compete!”

With the prize money, Lyssa plans to purchase a new laptop to help with homework assignments. In school, Lyssa is a student council officer and Katie is on the dance team. Outside of school, Katie spends her time playing soccer.