The mentors and friends I found at Shaver’s Creek helped me come to know myself better. There’s a confidence and state of curiosity I now carry through life that is rooted in the woods of Stone Valley.
Years at Shaver’s Creek: 2017–2019
Positions Held: Intern, Outdoor School
Current Company/Organization: The University of South Florida
I work as a climate resilience researcher at the University of South Florida, with a focus on interdisciplinary nature-based solutions. With my current projects, I find myself spending a lot of time along changing shorelines, coral reefs, and mangrove forests. But I’m often missing the woods of Pennsylvania!
My work focuses on people and communities, and my time at SCEC taught me how important it is not just to connect people with nature but to build relationships rooted in listening and learning together. Climate resilience solutions hinge on understanding how people engage with their environment through constant exploration, and then designing with that lived experience as a guide.
SCEC helped to shape a mindset and develop practices in lifelong learning that I’m endlessly grateful to possess. Leading with curiosity, knowing there is so much to be discovered together, is one of my favorite lessons from my time at Shaver’s Creek.