Aquarium Accolades Fall 2024

Read about Aquarium honorees from our community.

Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific/Robin Riggs

September 24, 2024

Aquarium Accolades Fall 2024

Alina Jean-Baptiste with Marilyn Padilla, Aquarium's director of public relations Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific

International Children’s Festival

Alina Jean-Baptiste was this year’s Young Hero Award recipient and honored at the nineteenth International Children’s Festival. She is a student at Long Beach Polytechnic High School and dual enrolled at Long Beach Community College.

Jean-Baptiste is active in the Poly Green Team and leads fundraising events and information booths on environmental issues. She manages the club’s social media accounts where she engages followers on important topics such as climate change. Through her efforts Jean-Baptiste hopes to help people realize and understand how to make a difference in their lives and others.

Skye Moret with Teen Climate Council Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific

Earth Day Festival

Skye Moret was honored at this year’s Earth Day Teen Climate Fest with the Corinne Monroe Earth Day Award.

Moret is an assistant professor in the Pacific Northwest College of Art at Willamette University. She leads a graduate program focused on collaborative design and design systems. With a background in marine science, Moret’s early research on marine plastic pollution drew attention to the need to further research this important topic. This led to the first dedicated scientific trip to study plastics in the Atlantic Ocean. Moret uses art to convey scientific data.

For more than a decade, Moret has spent numerous hours at sea teaching oceanography, working with the U.S. Antarctic Program, and conducting research with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. She inspired students at the Aquarium in a Teen Science Café in 2023, which can be watched on the Aquarium’s YouTube channel.

Geri Kuhia Brigoli with Alyssa Pacaut, the Aquarium's director of membership Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific

Pacific Islander Festival

Geri Kuhia Brigoli, also known as “Auntie Geri,” was honored at the twenty-first annual Pacific Islander Festival with the Heritage Award.

Auntie Geri is a singer dedicated to the preservation of Hawaiian culture and language through music. Songs are an important part of Hawaiian culture, serving roles of communication, celebration, and preserving history. Auntie Geri grew up on Oahu in the town of La’ie, where she sang with her parents forming the Kuhia Ohana for many years. Auntie Geri has spread this Hawaiian tradition at numerous other festivals and events, including the hula dance festival Merrie Monarch, and even with music legends such as Elvis Presley.

Locally, she has been part of Long Beach’s E Hula Mau Polynesian Festival and performed at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. Due to her numerous contributions, she had a scholarship named after for students studying the performing arts.

Cal Bigari, Aquarium's Director of Membership Alyssa Pacaut, and Jessi Santiago Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific

Pride Night

Jessie Santiago was honored at this year’s Pride Night with the Heritage Award. She accepted the award alongside Cal Bigari, a co-founder of Salon Benders. Santiago is an artist, entrepreneur, and community leader dedicated to creating spaces and opportunities for all people, including those in the LGBTQ+ community.

In 2017 Santiago rejuvenated one of Long Beach’s historic landmarks by establishing Salon Benders. There, she fostered an inclusive environment for many while leading a team of stylists practicing trauma-informed beauty. This unique approach resulted in a strong community and a vital place where LGBTQ+ individuals could freely express themselves. Although Salon Benders recently closed its doors, Santiago remains committed to her mission of creating inclusive spaces.