Chef Andrew Scholar Program

To honor the life of Chef Andrew Michael Alessi, Debris Free Oceans has created a program in his memory. The Chef Andrew Scholar Internship is a Fall and Spring semester-long program for post-secondary students based in South Florida who are passionate about engaging communities with education and outreach to address the plastic pollution crisis! With great mentorship from the Debris Free Oceans team, the interns become experts in plastic pollution, public speaking, sustainability consulting, and community organizing.

Nicolas was born in Miami and raised in Argentina from the age of four. He returned to Miami to study civil engineering at Miami Dade Honors College, where he received the Honors Fellow Award. As President of the MDC EcoFuture Initiative, he addresses plastic pollution and environmental degradation with innovative solutions. He also serves as Vice President of Internal Affairs for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers at Miami Dade College, promoting STEM education for Hispanic students.

Passionate about social and environmental impact, Nicolas co-founded Ecobotellasrio3, a nonprofit in Argentina that recycles plastic waste. Through this initiative, he collected over 1,000 eco-bottles, recycling more than 3,000 pounds of plastic and raising awareness about waste production. Nicolas aims to become a successful civil engineer who contributes to societal advancement and environmental protection.

Veronica Calzadilla Sosa was born and raised in Cuba and moved to the United States in 2021. She was a dedicated scholar with Debris Free Oceans (DFO), where she served as both an educator and translator. Her passion for engineering led her to establish the Florida Engineering Society Student Chapter at the MDC Wolfson Campus, where she served as president. In this role, she successfully fostered collaboration between engineering peers and DFO by planning collaborative activities with various student organizations. Veronica’s bilingual abilities (English and Spanish) allowed her to effectively communicate the mission of DFO to a broader audience, and through her work, she felt a deep connection to the DFO team, often describing them as a second family.

She graduated from Miami Dade College Honors College with an Associate’s Degree in Chemical Engineering and later transferred to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to complete her bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering. Her commitment to sustainability and resource conservation was evident in her academic pursuits, as she aimed to become a professional chemical engineer specializing in energy and material science.

Alyssa was born and raised in Oregon, Ohio. She graduated with a Master of Professional Science from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Sciences with a concentration in Marine Conservation. In addition to hosting cleanups and delivering presentations, Alyssa evaluated the effectiveness of these programs. As a part of her master’s degree, Alyssa also surveyed local marine debris leadership individuals with the hopes to evaluate the impact and reach of community cleanups in Miami-Dade County, representation in environmental conservation, as well as areas of improvement.

Now graduated, Alyssa has moved to Cleveland, OH where she works with high schools in the Greater Cleveland area to expose students to the opportunities that await them after high school and to increase postsecondary attainment. She is still heavily involved in the zero plastic movement and hopes to combine her passion and the passions of students to create a generation of plastic free ambassadors.

Amanda Di Perna was a Chef Andrew Scholar during the junior year of her undergrad. She graduated as an Outstanding Graduate from Florida International University (FIU) in December 2023 with a B.S. in Marine Biology. Throughout her undergraduate career, Amanda was deeply committed to researching and combating plastic pollution. As President of the Green Campus Initiative, she spearheaded FIU’s inaugural ‘Plastics If You Ask’ initiative, which introduced by-request-only options for single-use plastics on campus. She also held the position of President at the Surfrider Foundation FIU Club, where she actively engaged in environmental policy advocacy and organized numerous cleanups for the FIU community.

Currently, Amanda serves as the Program Manager for Debris Free Oceans, where she continues to work towards a zero waste future. In her role, she not only oversees various programs but also mentors and guides the next generation of Chef Andrew Scholars, empowering them to follow in her footsteps.

Isabella Herrera (she/her) was a Chef’s Andrew Scholar during her senior year at Florida International University. She graduated from F.I.U. in 2022 with a Bachelor’s in Sustainability and the Environment with a minor in Marine Biology and an undergraduate certificate in Biodiversity Conservation. During her time at F.I.U., Isabella served as the Secretary of Environmental Resilience and Green Initiatives for the Student Government Association. She organized a lecture series on the Biscayne Bay Campus focusing on a variety of environmental and conservation topics and hosted F.I.U.’s “Day on the Bay” — a campus-wide clean up event — in tandem with her role with Debris Free Oceans. An avid admirer of Florida’s ecology, Isabella led kayak and paddleboard tours in Oleta State Park and organized clean ups through the mangrove trails and Sandspur island in North Biscayne Bay.

Isabella is currently an Assistant in Policy, Communication, & Collaboration for the American Meteorological Society, where she continues to incorporate conservation, environmental justice, and community-led solutions into her work at the intersection of science and policy.