What was your education and background in before you completed the CSP program?
Before the CSP program, I graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Environmental Studies and Biology after transferring from Cabrillo College. I am still grateful for community college!

What drew you to the CSP program?
I was drawn to the CSP program because of my desire to further my education and career towards something that I knew was needed— work toward a more sustainable future climate. I was also drawn by a curiosity from those who chose that climate path full-on— what was it like? And what keeps them going in the face of the myriad of challenges posited in front of the climate movement. After receiving my undergraduate degree I hadn’t quite found a way into the environmental workforce, then the obscurity of COVID ensued. I had the idea that I may dabble in policy by pursuing a graduate degree— though I didn’t know where or how. One day I felt the urge to look into programs and looked up: “Master's program that don’t require a GRE”. Having lived and schooled in Santa Cruz, Scripps Institution was a familiar name to me and the CSP program was one of the first to come up. I knew immediately that this was the program I wanted.

What has your career path looked like following the program?
My career path after the program has meandered a bit while maintaining somewhat of a focal point around the topic of my capstone project from the program. After moving to Portland OR, immediately after graduating, I found myself in a familiar role guiding from the city to the nearby landscapes— the Pacific Northwest waterfalls and mountains. Then I moved into non-profit work, where I primarily still spend my time currently. Somewhere on the middle burner of the stove that is my career path has been leading climate communication workshops and classes, a practice that started during my capstone. In that, I have taught community education courses at Mount Hood Community College and Portland Community College entitled “Communicating Climate Science Effectively". However what has really been exciting is leading climate communication workshops for guides that work in Washington State, Oregon, and Alaska. In an attempt to achieve a semblance of legitimacy for these climate-guide workshops, I founded an organization by the name of Climate Impact Communicators.

Can you tell us about a project at work that’s meant a lot to you?
The project that continues to bring me fulfillment and excitement are the climate science and communication workshops for the outdoor community, mostly guides and outfitters, as well as the community college classes. My capstone project brought me to Mt. Rainer where I developed and led workshops of this nature for new-hire guides at one of the major guiding operations on the mountain. Connecting with these guides from my work as a guide while helping them to build their own voice on the local impacts of climate change, which are significant at a place like Mt. Rainer. After the program, I was invited back to speak to the guides and other key agency staff of the Park. From there a friend from years before managed a guiding operation in Alaska where I led a workshop for guides at Kachemak Bay. This was a profound and exciting experience that I am incredibly grateful for. I am now excited to lead a climate workshop at the Oregon Outdoor Recreation Summit this December.

Were there any specific courses or projects you completed during your time at Scripps that significantly impacted your career path?
A course that very much stands out from my time at Scripps is Paleoclimatology taught by Jane Teranes, who is unfortunately no longer with us. This course offered me a foundation on which I have built a core component of the climate communication workshops that I continue to organize and teach. Jane’s unwavering kindness and dedication to education fostered my acquisition of foundational tools to discuss topics on paleoclimatology while inspiring me to believe in my project which I continue to this day. Leading up to workshops and classes that I lead presently, I often think of Jane’s tenacity for inclusive, accessible climate education. When I think back on this class and Jane support, I am continually inspired and motivated to pursue projects that I care about.