I as an “Individual”, What Can Be Accomplished.
Summary
Although incorporated on August 26, 2014, Rescate Playas Borinquen initially began the year before on July 31, 2013 by its founder and president Mario Torres. After nine frustrating months of trying to secure permission for this proposal from the local government and many other local entities to no avail, he was finally able to receive verbal permission from the mayor to start the project. Capitalizing on his upcoming birthday, he used this day to his advantage and recruited his friends to “gift” him their time in exchange of presents to help clean up and restore the park areas. After several years, and with the help of the local community and nonprofit organization he has been in charge ever since. He is emphatic about the point that this is not about him, but it is about individuals. He believes that individually we have more power to change the world than we believe, and all we need to do is have faith and act. He has been the main person behind all of the events, organizing, logistics, and fundraising ever since the beginning, and has followed through in all aspects of Rescate Playas Borinquen. Most recently, on August 9, 2020, the corporation was awarded Resolution 709. This law was unanimously passed in the House of Representatives, Senate, and signed by Governor Wanda Vazquez and authorizes the nonprofit the formal administrative capacities to be incharge. We are honored with that accomplishment and milestone!
In addition to being the President of Rescate Playas Borinquen nonprofit organization (LIC#342308), Mario Torres has past experiences as the head of several other organizational bodies. While pursuing his degree in Environmental Science Technology he was also for a time, the President of NUPA, “Nacion Unida Pro Ambiente" for the University of Puerto Rico Aguadilla Campus, where he was actively involved in reforestation projects, dune restoration, campus landscaping, and beach clean ups amongst other things. Before that, while at Ramey School Mr. Torres held several positions in the student council, his last and most important post while in Ramey School was as President of the Student Council. Of his many initiatives, he was responsible for the annual Earth Day event that he initiated with the collaboration of multiple organizations and several hundred people.
Mario’s scholastic and professional achievements are as follows: he is a double graduate from the University of Puerto Rico with a Bachelor's Degree of Environmental Science in Environmental Technology & an Associates Degree in Interior Design (cum laude). In his degree with Environmental Technology he was educated with the skills necessary to be capable of several things like an environmental inspector, water analysis technician, environmental manager in the fields of waste management, air quality, and water quality, etc.
In his second degree in Interior Design, Mario was educated in all of the aspects necessary for executing a construction project. This includes the planning, consulting, and management phases of a proposal. This may include the creation of drawings (scaled blueprints, plans, construction drawings, sketches), the interpretation and implementation of residential and commercial building codes, regulations, and laws established for building, and the knowledge necessary for creating an accurate proposal for the client. Part of his curriculum included landscape design.
After receiving his degree he pursued his licensing as an Interior Designer of Puerto Rico with the State Department (LIC #1748). With his licensing, he was contracted by Puerto Rico’s North Western Consortium as a design professor. In this role, he was able to provide guidance and counsel to adults who were trying to retool themselves and reenter the workforce.
To help compliment his education and become better prepared for his future endeavors Mario Torres also enrolled in a Job Corp Technical School garnering an OSHA 30 hours certificate — Occupational Safety & Health Administration Construction Safety and Health (12-602004873). NCCER certificate—National Center for Construction Education and Research: Core Curriculum, Carpentry Level I, Solar Photovoltaic, and Solar Photovoltaic Installer (16033507) and finally a NABCEP Licensing—North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (PVA-120716-016362).
Professionally, Mario Torres is a registered small business owner as Mario Felipe Design general contracting, edification and development (0540167-0022). He is also a bonafide licensed artist of with the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture (#19090), patent holder for his design (12-294), registered small business owner for his brand, Mario Felipe Design (0540167-0013) a published artist in sources such as Area— Design, Architecture, & Decor magazine, El Nuevo Dia, and an exhibited artist with the museum of Contemporary Art of Puerto Rico as a finalist in the Kettle One Vodka Latin American design competition.
Mario’s unique combination of degrees, education, and practical experience affords him the ability to adequately develop and execute multiple initiatives on several different fronts to be able to achieve the mission and vision of the nonprofit organization with great success.
You can donate to Rescate Playas Borinquen here: https://rescateplayasborinquen.org/
*check out the progress within the community the non profit has been accomplished and help them to keep moving forward. *
20% of proceeds this year are going back to grass roots international. Pick up a sunboobies, same stars t, or donate directly to the podcast to be apart of our efforts.