Meet our Co-hort 22 Graduates!
Alessandra
Alessandra “Alyssa” (she/her), a second generation Filipina American. Born & raised in Northeast LA in the town of Eagle Rock. She graduated with a Business Management degree with Public Affairs & Entrepreneurship minors. Currently, she is a Partnership Manager at GRID Alternatives overseeing community based organization outreach for GRID’s solar multi-family program. She has years of experience in the nonprofit & grassroots organizing sector with a focus on event planning, outreach, program management, and customer service. She aims to continue uplifting community voices, sharing resources to aid with community needs, expression, and livelihood, and is interested in creating green sustainable infrastructure and public spaces. In her free time, she is out exploring her community, eating, hiking, rock climbing, live music, or hanging out with her cat. Alyssa is looking forward to all the resource sharing and knowledge building through the Academy as well becoming an intentional environmental justice steward, and sharing these lessons with community.
Amelia
Amelia grew up in LA County and attended college in Northern California, graduating from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Environmental Studies and Psychology. She is passionate about food systems and curious to learn about all the plants native to Southern California. Her interests and hobbies are playing tennis, making art, cooking, gardening, and thrifting/upcycling.
Carmen
Carmen is committed to co-creating autonomous communities and relationships rooted in care. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and Social Behavior and brings over a decade of experience as a childcare provider and educator supporting young people through trauma-informed, play-based, and culturally responsive approaches. She is currently a student of politicized somatics and is practicing healing arts modalities such as AcuDetox and massage. Guided by harm reduction and healing justice, she is invested in building collective power by weaving relationships of care that move us toward freedom from capitalism, anti-Black racism, colonialism, and imperialism.
Christian
Christian is a first-generation Chicano with roots in Nayarit and the Pacific Northwest. Raised in an undocumented household, he brings a deep love for land, family, and community into everything he does. Guided by his belief in conservation through culture — caring for the land while honoring ancestors — and preservation through presence — keeping traditions and the natural spaces we call home alive through respect and intention — Christian has built a path rooted in these values. After completing college courses early through the Running Start program and earning his Associate of Arts degree shortly after high school, Christian pursued studies in aviation and meteorology, reflecting his passion for understanding the natural world and its forces. His work journey began with landscaping alongside his father and selling goods with his mother at the swap meet. Over time, he gained diverse experience in logistics, customer service, and skilled trades, eventually joining the bricklayer union, where he specialized in restoration and historical preservation. Today, Christian serves across Los Angeles and neighboring counties throughout Southern California, installing and programming security systems. Christian has been involved in his community in a variety of ways over the years. He organized a back-to-school drive in his hometown rancho, served as a volunteer at ESL classes, health fairs, animal shelters, and youth camps. Now, he’s excited to expand his skills through the Nature for All Leadership Academy, empowering him to deepen his impact on both community and environment.
Courtney
Courtney is a 31-year-old Biology student at Cal State Los Angeles, specializing in Ecology and Environmental Science. As a dedicated mother of five, Courtney is pursuing her academic journey with the ambitious goal of earning a Ph.D. and opening a school in Compton or Watts focused on environmental sustainability, farm-to-feed initiatives, and water restoration for underserved communities. Her passion for education and advocacy is deeply rooted in her role as a mother. In her words and actions, she demonstrates to her children and to others in her community that dreams are achievable through determination and consistency. Even while on leave from work, the support and admiration of her children, who proudly say, “Mommy is going to school and work,” serve as her daily motivation. Outside of her academic pursuits, Courtney enjoys reading, writing children’s books, and spending quality time watching movies with her kids. She is driven by a vision to bridge the gap between environmental science and community empowerment, using her education as a tool to uplift, educate, and inspire future generations starting with her own.
Elaine
Elaine grew up in San Gabriel Valley and enjoys spending her free time learning more about the local flora and fauna. In recent years, she’s learned about the importance of native plants and has become invested in developing outreach and community engagement to help others learn about why native plants are so important. She’s interested in learning about different ways to get people to unite together as a community to care for both our cities and our natural areas.
Irma
Irma is a student at CSULB and is majoring in Community Health with a certificate in Public Health Informatics & Technology. As someone with multiple chronic autoimmune conditions, they’re passionate about advocating for disability rights. She wants to help provide more inclusion and accessibility for disabled people to access trails and outdoor recreation areas especially in underserved communities. Irma’s hobbies include playing video games, trying new coffee places, birding, badminton, figurine collecting, riding bikes, and drawing.
Jessica
Jessica (she/her) is an educator and youth program coordinator from East Los Angeles with a growing passion for outdoor education and equitable access to nature. After years of coordinating school programs and exploring the outdoors herself, she discovered how transformative outdoor experiences can be for young people and for communities that rarely see themselves represented in green spaces. Her work is guided by the belief that nature should feel welcoming, familiar, and grounding for all. Through the Nature for All Leadership Academy, she hopes to deepen her skills in community engagement, advocacy, and access work and to better understand how to create meaningful pathways into the outdoors for BIPOC and first generation families. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, gardening, camping, learning, and spending time with her family/friends.
Jose
Jose is a first-generation Latino student on his way to pursuing an Environmental Analysis degree at Pitzer College. His passion for the environment and the goal of an equitable and safe environment for all demographics began as he volunteered to plant native trees in his community alongside his environmental club. Soon enough, the environmental injustices that his community of Huntington Park and South Gate faced became clear as they faced large amounts of littering, industrialization, food deserts, and improper access to clean water and infrastructure. Previously being a part of The South East LA Youth Outdoors Program with LA Nature For All cemented the fact that he wanted to devote his career to improving the environment, and doing so for all. As Jose attends his first year of college at Pitzer College, he sees the Leadership Academy as an opportunity to enrich his knowledge of environmental subjects, strengthen his outdoor skills, and bond with nature. He hopes to leave a lasting impact on Los Angeles and ultimately, on the entire ecosystem with his career endeavors.
Leeda
Leeda is a Los Angeles native. She holds a degree in Global Health with a minor in Urban Studies and Planning. She is deeply passionate about advancing health equity and improving health outcomes, with a particular interest in how urban planning shapes and influences our well-being. Through Nature for All, she hopes to promote equitable access to the outdoors and highlight the positive impacts of green spaces on community health.
Mouse
Mouse spent the last 3 years as a case manager/outreach worker assisting people experiencing homelessness. But the work that brings them the most joy is “Instructor” for Outward Bound Adventures, who introduced them – a city kid who never camped – to the real outdoors. Bringing underserved youth into new experiences with nature has been the most rewarding and they hope to continue their career in outdoor advocacy/education with LA Nature For All.
Romeo
Romeo holds a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Public Administration and a concentration in Social Inequality, which sparked his passion for understanding how systems shape access to resources, opportunities, and the environment. As a Restoration Lead, he gained hands-on experience in ecological restoration, native and non-native plant ID, and leading fieldwork. This role has strengthened his connection to land stewardship and environmental resilience. Outside of work, he’s often mountain biking, hiking, reading or camping—always exploring new trails, new ideas, and new ways to make a difference. He’s especially interested in the intersections of green space equity, alternative transportation, and environmental advocacy. Through LA Nature for All’s cohort, he hopes to deepen his experience in community engagement, environmental justice, and advocacy.
Stefanie
Stefanie is a proud Los Angeles native of Mexican American heritage, raised with the San Gabriel Mountains as the backdrop to her everyday life. While she admired them from afar growing up, it wasn’t until recent years that she truly came to understand their cultural and ecological significance—and began advocating for their protection. Her background is rooted in education and community engagement, where she’s focused on uplifting voices and fostering meaningful connections. She’s passionate about deepening her knowledge of California’s unique native landscapes and committed to becoming a more informed and responsible steward of the land for future generations.