South Bay cohort
Chris (they/them, she/her) is from East San Jose where they currently live. Their favorite activities are making art and hanging out wherever they can watch birds. Before Covid-19, Chris was a swim instructor, and taught swimming to people from the ages of 6 months to 70+ years. They are passionate about respecting the land and decolonizing our ideas of what it means to enjoy the outdoors, regardless of age, class, race, or ability. Chris was averse to hiking, until they joined the Outdoors Club at De Anza College many years ago. After transferring to and graduating from UCSB with a degree in Asian American Studies and LGBTQ studies, they returned to De Anza to volunteer lifeguard for the adult novice and beginner swimming classes. A lifelong learner, Chris hopes to be an ethnic studies educator one day, where they could connect a history of the people to an appreciation for the outdoors.