Cole Mattingly Honored with Internship

Apollo High School junior, Cole Mattingly, has been accepted for the Marine Science Consortium’s Summer High School Internship Program.

Cole is one of only eight students selected from among 62 applicants across the country to participate in the 2013 program.

Selections were based on applications and interviews designed to identify qualified and enthusiastic candidates who are passionate about the environment and marine science.

The internship includes three components: programs, research and enrichment. Cole and his fellow interns will live and work on the Consortium’s main campus in Wallops Island, Va., for two months, June 16 to Aug. 16. They will be working alongside program staff to provide environmental education programs, attending college-level courses, developing their own research projects and exploring the marine habitats of the eastern shores of the United States.

The students will spend approximately 40 hours a week at a marine science field station. Activities will include field studies of diverse ecosystems and collecting chemical and physical data on local water sources. At the conclusion of the internship, Cole will make a presentation summarizing what he has learned.

Cole is the son of Kim Booker and Lewis Mattingly of Owensboro. He plans to achieve a double major in biology and marine biology in college after graduating from Apollo High School. He is currently deciding between the University of Miami, Millersville University and the University of Tampa. His career plans include researching sharks to discover why they do not get cancer and studying the coral reefs as a marine ecosystem ecologist. He is a member of the Academic Team, Technology Student Association, and Art Club at Apollo High School and is a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo.

As long as there are kids like Cole Mattingly, the country's future is safe.