Send-A-Pyrate-To-Camp 2012 Fund

As you might know, I spent my last school year enrolled in a virtual academy.  this experience has turned my life 180 degrees around and I began to think "What's going to happen after high school?", and "Where do I want to end up?"  After some thinking and research, and with my mom's help, I decided on what I want to do.  I want to earn a PhD in Marine Science.
There are a few things that could help me get into college, and also give me more experience with my passion for science.  Next summer, there will be 2 summer camp programs at UC Berkley and Brown University which are geared towards science and ecology.
I really badly want to go to these summer camps because I believe that I can learn a lot from the two experiences not just in marine biology but also leadership and character development (my mom says "not that he's not already a character").

Each of these programs is quite expensive and I have to come up with about $10,000 by February of 2012.  That is a lot of money but I came up with an idea.  What if everybody I know pitched in a small amount?  I calculated that if I could get 50 people to donate $200 (or $20 every month until February), I could pay for airfare and tuition without sending my mom to her grave early.  I will be saving $20 each month from my own allowance as well.
What I need from you is any amount of help you can offer.  So, you can go to my fundraising website here to read more about the summer programs I'm applying for next year and then donate any amount you wish.

In return,  I will do my very best to make you proud, and I offer my thanks  with a monthly newsletter written personally by me, that will include a summary of my school progress, stories about the volunteer work I may be doing at the Long Beach Marine Institute and the Cabrillo Aquarium, and links to my latest blog posts here on Salumaximus.  Best of all, you will receive an exclusive invitation to a donor appreciation/bon voyage party in May 2012, hosted by my mom.  Thank you in advance for your participation and consideration.