Fresno cohort
Sandy Hernandez is 27 years old and currently lives in Fish Camp, CA. She is a daughter of immigrants- a first-generation Guatemalan American. After graduating from UC Irvine with a B.S. in Earth System Science, life took her to Ethiopia where she worked as an agriculture volunteer with the United States Peace Corps. Upon returning to the States, she began working in Yosemite National Park.
Now, she is an advocate for inclusion in our outdoor spaces and the workforces of the organizations that manage them. Growing up, Sandy experienced nature in a very candid way with her family. Her parents have always been attracted to lakes and rivers. They have always used them as a reminder of their life in Guatemala. During outings in nature, her family enjoys barbecuing and swimming while gathering with friends and relatives. She did not grow up learning about backpacking or Leave No Trace. She learned those things at an older age and hopes to share what she knows NOW with people- the beauty of loving and reconnecting with nature.
“To keep these public spaces important and sustain them, we need to connect people from all walks of life with them. We need to be able to make anyone who walks into these public lands feel welcomed and gain experiences they will cherish. Through this program, I hope to be a part of that narrative.”