PHOTOS BY JUSTIN GRAHAM PHOTOGRAPHY
Mars Area High School Class of 2006 graduate Philip Armstrong has been featured on the television show“ Blood Ivory,” which premiered on Animal Planet in September 2017.
The show follows the work of VETPAW— Veterans Empowered To Protect African Wildlife— a group of veterans who train park rangers and reserve owners to prevent the poaching of elephants and rhinoceroses in Tanzania. Armstrong was a member of the VETPAW team during the filming of the program.
Armstrong entered the Mars Area School District in eighth grade. His after-school activities included mountain bike racing, wrestling, hockey and pole vaulting, and his favorite teachers were Jim and Erin Sloane.“ They are quality people and have been my friends throughout life, always looking to challenge me to be a better person,” he says.“ They have helped guide and mentor me since high school.”
Following graduation, Armstrong attended Butler County Community College, earning an associate degree in business management. He enlisted and served for six years in the U. S. Air Force, completing four tours in Afghanistan( one on active duty and three as a military consultant), earning both a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star Medal with valor.
Armstrong graduated from Kaplan University in the fall of 2017 with a bachelor ' s degree in environmental policy and management. He’ s looking to continue his education at Harvard University in pursuit of a master’ s degree in sustainability. Armstrong also holds an International Board of Specialty Certification( IBSC) and the Board for Critical Care Transport Paramedic Certification( BCCTPC) as a flight paramedic, and a University of New Mexico Paramedic Certification.
Following his brief association with VETPAW, he founded his own nonprofit— Ambassadors of World
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