Janira Cotto (she/her/ella) Program Staff / Personal del programa wnaven@fgntr.jlc.bet Janira Cotto grew up in New York City where she spent her childhood playing in the dirt in front of her building, filling her pockets with rocks and catching fireflies during summer nights. As a child, Janira’s mother would take her to many parks but …
Sofia Smith Hale (she/they) Program Staff / Personal del programa fbsvn@fgntr.jlc.bet I come to WYP from many years of being an apprentice to nature, learning continually from her wisdom, generosity, and resilience. I have been shaped by many plants, mountains, and bodies of water in my life, and am grateful to be able to learn …
Elise Scheuermann (she/ella) Program Staff / Personal del programa ryvfr@fgntr.jlc.bet Elise grew up in Santa Barbara and spent her childhood tidepooling and exploring local trails with her family. She is grateful to her family for fostering her love of nature, which led her to the redwoods in Santa Cruz, where she majored in Environmental Studies …
Celine Pun/ 潘珠海 (Pān Zhūhǎi) / (she/they/ella/ellos) Program Staff / Personal del programa Pryvar@fgntr.jlc.bet Celine is non-binary & uses she/they pronouns. Celine was named after that famous Canadian singer from the Titanic. She was also named zhūhǎi (a pearl in the ocean) but nobody calls them that. They like to believe their namesake comes from …
Cielle Watjen Brown (she/her/ella) Program Staff / Personal del programa pvryyrjo@tznvy.pbz Cielle grew up in the redwood forests of Mendocino and spent most of her time in the woods flipping over logs in search of critters. She went to high school in Hawai’i where she developed a passion for outdoor education and followed her curiosity …
Finbar Castellino (they/them, ellos/ellos) Program Staff / Personal del programa Finbar (was born in the bay area and was raised in Santa Barbara. Their fascination with the natural world started in preschool where they attended an outdoor school and was intensified as a WYP participant. Finbar enjoys spending time with their best friend, playing ultimate …
Jose Campos (he/him/el) CRM & Systems Coordinator / Coordinador de CRM y Sistemas PEZ@fgntr.jlc.bet I have called Santa Barbara home for as long as I can remember. I am lucky enough to be surrounded by the ocean and mountains. That makes Santa Barbara special, magical, and beautiful. After graduating from UCSB with a degree in …
Sandra Gonzalez (she/ella) Family & Community Engagement Coordinator / Coordinadora de Participación Familiar y Comunitaria fnaqen@fgntr.jlc.bet Born in El Salvador, daughter of teachers and social justice fighters, I grew up listening to stories of struggle and social injustice which forced my family to find refuge in Australia when I was only 2 years old. Growing …
Rob Balloch (he, him, él) Program Manager/Gerente de Programa, REACH Fellowship ebo@zlernpuargjbex.bet Rob first joined REACH in January 2022 as the Program Manager. Rob has come to REACH with years of experience working in Wilderness Therapy, Outdoor Education, and Technical Mountain Guiding. Prior to REACH Rob worked at Open Sky Wilderness therapy as a Senior …
Amanda Zavala (she, her, ella) Program Staff / Personal del programa nznaqn@fgntr.jlc.bet Amanda grew up in Ventura County, unceded Chumash territory, and was overwhelmed by its natural beauty and mysticism from a young age. She comes from a long line of farmworkers and herbalists in Brazil, and feels it is tremendously powerful to return to …
