Flagstaff STEM VISTA Education Project

The STEM, Opioid, & College Access Program seeks to increase the academic performance of low-income youth in STEM fields and their interest in pursuing STEM careers.
​
The 2019-2020 VISTAs are off to a rocking start! You can read more about our new amazing Volunteers in Service to America below! If you are missing the 2018-2019 VISTAs, 2017-2018 VISTAs and the 2016-2017 VISTAs as much as we are, just keep scrolling!

2020-2021 STEM VISTAS

Hello! My name is Erin Kaczmarowski, and I’m excited to be serving my first term as an AmeriCorps VISTA member with the City of Flagstaff’s Beautification, Arts and Sciences program. I am a recent graduate from Northern Arizona University with my Bachelor’s in Environmental Science and Biology, and have always been interested in exploring the intersection between STEM education and public art. For the next year, I will be working to build capacity through increased outreach of City programs including grant opportunities to the community, youth groups and local artists, as well as creating public art projects that provide economic opportunity for the arts, culture and science sector here in Flagstaff. In my free time, I enjoy exploring and frolicking around the wild spaces that the Southwest has to offer, crafting, and riding my bike around town. I’ve lived in Flagstaff for almost 5 years now and feel deeply connected to the incredible communities here, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve them!

Hello! My name is Christina Vu. I’m an AmeriCorps STEM VISTA serving my first term ever as the STEM Education Integrator at Killip Elementary! As a person who grew up with little STEM influences in school, I love seeing students fall in love with STEM so early - which is why my placement at Killip Elementary has been the most perfect EVER! I’ve helped to promote after school activities, family events, and community outreach activities at Killip that increase student exposure to STEM fields. 
I’ve lived in Flagstaff, Arizona for the past 3 years and I’ve loved all the hiking, roadtripping, and outdoor activities that Northern Arizona provides. I graduated from Northern Arizona University with my Bachelor’s in biomedical science and a minor in chemistry; I hope to take that to medical school soon! In my free time, I enjoy service! I serve at the Coconino County Office of the Medical Examiner and International Foundation for Women’s and Children’s Empowerment. I also enjoy hiking, playing the piano, and photography. 

My name is Kelly Randazzo (they/she) and I am a first-year Americorps VISTA member at STEM City. I am serving as the Project Coordinator with a goal to increase the academic performance and interest in STEM of youth who are currently underrepresented in STEM fields. My role includes increasing community awareness of educational opportunities through STEM City’s social media accounts, coordinating inclusive STEM events, and making STEM classroom kits available and known to the educator community. 
I graduated in 2019 from Humboldt State University with a B.A. in Physics and a minor in Mathematics. I recently moved to Flagstaff, saying goodbye to the ancient redwood trees of Northern California and hello to the ponderosa pine trees of Northern Arizona. I plan to share my passion of learning with the community while simultaneously being inspired by the individuals that create it. In my free time I love to read, connect with nature, tinker with electronics, interact with music and embroider. 
I look forward to building the capacity of STEM City and increasing my awareness through this service experience!

​Ya’ateeh! Hello, my name is Candis Yazzie. I am a first year VISTA serving as a STEM Education Coordinator at the Dzil Libei and Tsinnabaas Habitiin Elementary Schools on the Navajo Nation. I work to expand, develop, and create a foundation for STEM integration at both schools. This will be achieved through capacity building, creating partnerships, and forming volunteer activities for staff, parents, and community members. I work directly with teachers to help coordinate bi-monthly STEM activities for classroom implementation. I also help to coordinate and promote afterschool STEM activities, clubs, and events for the schools and community. My job is to help increase student interest in STEM fields. Furthermore, I help develop and implement fundraising strategies. My main goal is to create systems that will lay a foundation for teachers and new VISTAS, to further the integration of STEM, so they can continue and flourish at both sites. 
My educational background in biomedical science and passion for community has made this position a natural fit. I am privileged to be able to work within my community for a meaningful, positive and impacting change. I hope to be a catalyst that will spark a student or student’s longstanding interest in STEM education. 

2019-2020 STEM VISTAS

Hello! My name is Stefan Nelson and I am serving as the STEM Education Integrator VISTA at W.F. Killip Elementary School. My role entails working on a variety of different projects to build capacity for STEM curriculum and health-specific programs that increase student knowledge about mental and physical health. These projects include finding and writing grants, coordinating volunteers for student activities in sustainability and science, and coding scripts in Python that automate day to day processes like inventory management and data analysis. 

I graduated in 2018 with a B.S. in Computational Mathematics with minors in Statistics and Astronomy from Minnesota State University Moorhead. I moved to Flagstaff soon afterwards and taught some developmental math classes at Northern Arizona University before transitioning into serving at Killip. I love drumming, running, and hiking in my spare time and Flagstaff has been a paradise for all of these activities. I have absolutely adored this area and I'm incredibly grateful to be in this community.

My name is Hollie-Dee Hodgson and I will be serving as the STEAM Coordinator VISTA at the STAR School for the 2019-2020 year.  My desire to engage in meaningful, community-based work brought me to the AmeriCorps VISTA program, while my passion for sustainability, creativity, and education led me to STAR School. I was born and raised in the United Kingdom, but traveled extensively before landing in Flagstaff and graduating from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Affairs. After serving my VISTA term, I hope to continue my education in International Development and Sustainability– helping other communities tackle poverty, inequality, and human rights issues. In my free time I am a fiction writer, avid reader, theatre lover, and keen traveler. This year I will be teaching MakerClass, an interactive and hands-on workshop that applies science, technology, engineering, arts, and math to kinesthetic learning. As well as co-teaching Maker-Gardening class, which applies the same principles in an environmental education setting. I hope to advance the students’ knowledge of STEAM as well as inspire more curiosity to those fields. I would like to create projects in the MakerSpace that serve the school and the local community, as well as provide a foundation and curriculum for future STEAM teachers and VISTAs. 
I feel incredibly lucky to be serving amongst such compassionate and dedicated people!

My name is Jillian Goulet and I am the 2019-2020 Community Resilience VISTA for the City of Flagstaff Sustainability Section. I graduated in May from Heidelberg University in Ohio with a B.S. in Psychology. I am looking forward to educating community members about ways to make their homes and lives more environmentally conscious, and encouraging STEM interest in youth and adults alike. I love looking at data sets and graphs and explaining the information to folks who are curious about it!
My main goals are to cultivate relationships with community groups and businesses to involve them in outreach programs and encourage them to become more energy and waste conscious, and to foster neighborhood resilience. Growing neighborhood-based resilience will build relationships while providing valuable information and tips that can make each individual neighborhood better equipped to deal with the effects of our changing climate. 
My educational interests include the relationship between various aspects of personal identity and their impacts on how individuals view the world. Being from Ohio, I am also interested in the impact of waste and agricultural runoff on the Great Lakes. When I am not working, you can find me riding my bike around town, learning about astronomy at Lowell Observatory, reading, exploring historical places, cooking, and swimming! I am looking forward to meeting you and working with you through Flagstaff’s many sustainability programs.
​

Leila Husain
Growing up in the mountains near Harrisonburg, Virginia I have fond memories of spending long summer days turning over rocks to find salamanders, wading in cold creek beds, and climbing any tree with a low enough branch to grab onto. Watching nature documentaries with my parents after it became too dark to stay outside and hearing about animals becoming extinct and rainforests being cut down was almost too much for me to grasp. However, even at a young age I was sure that I was meant to do something about it. For as long as I can remember, I knew I wanted a job that would help me to protect and preserve our world. That’s why I am so excited to be working as the 2019-2020 Open Spaces VISTA position with the City of Flagstaff. 
After my freshman year of college at Virginia Tech studying Sustainable Biomaterials I was inspired by to keep exploring and the next summer I road tripped across the US. Gazing over the snow-covered mountains at Glacier National Park humbled me beyond reason;  I realized I had no clue where to start, and no clue how I was going to protect amazing places like this. Luckily, through my position I am able to work with citizens of every age group and background to teach the ever growing importance of protecting vulnerable and natural areas.  
For the next year I am beyond excited to learn how to work with outside stakeholders, government entities, volunteers, and nonprofits to protect the environment. Preserving areas such as National Forests, National and State Parks, and Flagstaff’s Open Spaces for the benefit of both the natural world and human use is challenging, but undeniably rewarding.

Hey everyone! My name is Leo Ventresca, and I am entering my first year into the AmeriCorps VISTA program. I will be serving as an Opioid Education VISTA at North Country HealthCare in Bullhead City. I was born and raised in Newark, Delaware, the home of the Blue Hens. I attended University of Delaware studying Health Behavior Science, minoring in Public Health and Strength & Conditioning, and became nationally credentialed to be a Certified Health Education Specialist. I found my passion for health education at the beginning of my university career when I learned about how health theories have improved people’s lives for the better. Before graduating from University of Delaware, I was a full-time intern with the Student Wellness & Health Promotion Department developing health education programs related to Men’s Health, promoting healthy choices, and numerous other topics related to the 9 dimensions of wellness for Blue Hens. I also interned at the American Red Cross as a Communication & Outreach Intern, which sparked my passion for service. After graduating from university in May of 2019, I wanted to move from the North East to a new area that would allow me to grow as a person, strengthen my professionalism, and serve communities.

In regards to my service with North Country HealthCare, I work closely with our Opioid Program Coordinator to develop health education programs related to opioid use in Bullhead, from planning, implementing, and evaluation of these programs. I spend a lot of time conducting research related to opioid education, and we are finding out ways to properly combat the epidemic in Mohave County. I am also working with the clinic as the Tracking & Monitoring Lead of our health program called the “Six Building Blocks”, and I will be monitoring the amount of opioid prescriptions, naloxone kits distributed, and other factors and variables related to opioids at the clinic. I also conduct outreach with different organizations, and plan on conducting a community forum to discuss the opioid epidemic. I love hiking, strength training, reading, and listening to podcasts in my spare time. Arizona is truly a beautiful state for these hobbies, and I am honored to be able to serve for a health crisis that is affecting millions of people in our country.

---

My name is Zachary Coalmon. I'm the 2019-2020 NAU CSTL STEM Growth Associate VISTA. My job is to help Northern Arizona’s Center of Science Teaching and Learning build capacity. I manage their database, manage their knowledge management site, promote their Secondary STEM teaching program, NAUTeach, and search and implement different STEM outreach events and programs in and around Flagstaff. I  also assist my coworkers with the FEWSION project at NAU. 

Before arriving at NAU, I graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Physics with an Engineering Track from Frostburg State University. I played 4 years of collegiate basketball at Frostburg State. I have worked as a collegiate tutor in math and physics and a youth sports coach.

This is my first VISTA term and I hope to advance Arizona STEM education as much as possible while I'm here.

2018-2019 STEM VISTAS

My name is Ramsay Shannon and I am the STEM and Opioid Education VISTA Leader for the Civic Service Institute at Northern Arizona University. I graduated from NAU in 2017, magna cum laude with a B.A. in Anthropology, Socio-Cultural emphasis and Spanish Minor. This is my second year as a VISTA member, my first year I was the Family Involvement Coordinator for a school district in Mount Vernon, WA. I coordinated multiple programs there including three After School Tutoring Centers where I developed curriculum and implemented the Positive Action curriculum. I also coordinated the Parent Academy program where parents attended weekly classes and learned information and skills to help their children succeed in grades K-12th.
After completing my VISTA term, I realized I wanted to move back home to Flagstaff, AZ and serve as a VISTA again to assist the community I grew up in. I will spend my year coordinating the Professional Development, Volunteer Days, and Team Building opportunities for the VISTA members as well as researching and developing a curriculum for Opioid Education to combat the Opioid Crisis in Arizona.
I enjoy spending my time outside riding my bike, playing soccer, hiking and camping. I am excited to be living in Flagstaff again and ready to assist the other VISTA members and ensure we all have a great impact on the Flagstaff community.

---

My name is Crystal Routhe and I am currently the STEAM Community Coordinator VISTA at Mountain Charter School. I moved to Flagstaff in 2013 to attend NAU where I received a Bachelor’s degree in Forestry with an emphasis in Wildlife Ecology and Management and a minor in Biology. Throughout my time at NAU I volunteered with multiple organizations developing my passion for wildlife management and natural resource education. The past three seasons I have been working as a wildlife technician for the Kaibab National Forest which taught me the importance of environmental stewardship not only in professionals working in the natural resource management field but also within the general public. I hope to spark a passion for the natural world in communities I serve and live in to help conserve our resources for generations to come.

I will be serving as a first year VISTA at Mountain Charter School developing resources, curriculum, and after school programs to help engage students in the STEAM community.  I will also be serving with the schools Master Gardener to expand our gardening and sustainability clubs. Through my year I hope to not only pique student’s interest in STEAM but also extend Mountain Charter School’s STEAM footprint in Flagstaff and its surrounding communities. I am looking forward to my year of service and the wisdom I will gain not only from Mountain Charter School’s staff and students, but also the Flagstaff Community.

NAU CSTL Knowledge Management VISTA
My name is Laura Haferkamp. My primary project is creating a database and interface to help NAU’s Center for Science Teaching and Learning track the successes of their teacher training programs to help with future endeavors. I am excited to learn SQL, web design, and database management skills.
I’ve lived in Arizona all my life and recently earned a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Arizona. I moved to Flagstaff to start my first year of VISTA service, and I’ve been enjoying the cooler temperatures.
I love reading science fiction, playing with animals, doing logic puzzles, board games, epee fencing, and exploring outside.

​Ya’at’eeh. My name is Camille Keith. I am from the Navajo Nation from a place called Shaa’to’ho which translates to Sunshine Springs. My clans are Yei dine Tachinii, Tabaahi, Todichiinii, and Honoghanii. This is how I properly identify myself to the land and people. This is my first year serving with AmeriCorps VISTA as the Coconino County District 5 Community Engagement Coordinator in Tuba City. My goal is to be a young leader serving the Navajo Nation and Coconino County District 5 to help my community in need primarily focusing towards capacity building and education to improve academic performance and to strengthen STEM interest. The project roles consist of curriculum development, grant writing, creating opportunities and improving sustainability. 
I have a passion caring for the environment and love learning from diverse cultures. The love for the environment and people motivated me to study Environmental Engineering at Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. After I complete my VISTA term I am going to return as a junior student and pursue a B.S. in Engineering. In my free time, I love to hike the canyonland and the back country areas. I am a farm girl that spends quality time in the fields with my family learning cultural teachings and values to a healthy, balanced life. I am excited to serve this year and look forward to making a change in the community and learning from everyone. 

My name is Kim Cleary and I am the VISTA Youth Programming, Marketing, and Development Director with the Arizona Trail Association. I was born and raised in Massachusetts as well as an alumni of Northeastern University in Boston. After graduating from college this past May, I moved west to work with the Montana Conservation Corps as a crew member on one of their trail crews through the Americorps program. I spent six wonderful months there getting my hands dirty building and maintaining trails, and I knew that inspiring others to get outside to maintain and care for our public lands was something I wanted to continue doing in some capacity once that experience was over.

While working with the Arizona Trail Association I will be able to work towards expanding their reach to the youth of Arizona through place based outdoor education and teaching them to become stewards of their public lands. Their programs are instrumental in exposing kids to the natural world in a way that will inspire them to seek out opportunities to protect and preserve it going forward - after all people protect what they know. I could not be more excited to join this community and help keep it beautiful and accessible for everyone!

---

My name is Regan Gee, and I will be working as a STEM Coordinator at the STAR school for the 2018-2019 year. I am a recent graduate from the University of Arizona with a BA in Anthropology, and plan on pursuing my Ph.D. in Medical Anthropology eventually in the hopes of becoming a professor. My passion for community-led-change led me to VISTA, which in turn connected me with my current position working in STEM education out at the STAR school. I was drawn to the STAR school’s mission to enact positive change through place-based education, which seeks to inform curriculum with information from and about local ecosystems and cultures. The schools dedication to sustainability, both of the environment and of the Navajo culture, resonated with both my professional and personal goals.

As a VISTA, I will be developing a MakerClass where students can create and explore science, math, arts and more through hands on activities and experiments. At the end of the year, I will be in charge of organizing a school Maker Faire where our students can present their creations to their peers and their families and celebrate all the different types of creativity present in our community. Additionally, their projects will reflect the place-based learning model of the STAR school by incorporating a service element, with the goal of benefitting their community in some way through their Maker Faire project.
I look forward to working beside so many dedicated, talented individuals under the common goal of community empowerment!

Howdy! My name is Breanna Guzman and I am the Opioid Education VISTA with the Civic Service Institute at Northern Arizona University. I grew up in the central area of Phoenix, AZ and moved to Flagstaff, AZ about 5 years ago. I attended Northern Arizona University and received my B.S. in Public Health and a minor in Spanish. I chose to pursue the field of Public Health because I believe in the powerful impacts of primary prevention methods, community outreach, and education.
During my term of service I will be working closely with Senior Corps and other Alternatives to Managing Pain (AMP) VISTAs to address the opioid epidemic in Arizona. Through creating systems, curricula, and acting as a resource, I will help prepare Senior Corps and AMP VISTAs so that they can effectively deliver educational content and material to the communities that they are serving. One of my main project goals is to research alternative methods for managing chronic pain that go beyond the use of opioids. I hope to help people better understand pain, and how pain relief can come from more than just a prescription. Incorporating alternative modalities such as music, yoga, deep breathing, and exercise into our daily routine to manage pain can help us live healthier, happier lives.    
I am super excited that I get to work and play in Northern Arizona for another year while doing work that I am passionate about. In my spare time you can find me doing and trying any hobbies that are seasonal! Right now I am really into snowboarding and if I am not at work I am most likely at a ski resort. I also like to read, cook, and find new ways to reduce the amount of waste I produce.

​

My name is Kaeli Wells and I am the Events and Outreach Coordinator at the City of Flagstaff Open Space Program. I am originally from Flagstaff, AZ with a degree in Urban Planning and Sustainable Development from Western Washington University.

During the past year, I worked with the Lolo National Forest and the Lolo Watershed Group in western Montana. I’m very passionate about public land conservation and I’m excited to be working with the Open Space Program.  
This year, I will be focusing on providing STEM education to underrepresented youth in our community and acting as a steward for legally designated open spaces in the Flagstaff area.

Hi! My name is Mallory Schaefer and I will be entering my second year of the STEM VISTA project, where I will serve at STEM City as the Program Coordinator. I moved to Flagstaff in 2013 to attend NAU where I received a Bachelor's degree in Environmental and Sustainability Studies and a minor in Sustainable Community Development. I have spent the last year working at STAR School, enhancing STEAM programming at the school and working to create a Makerspace for students to learn and experiment creatively.

I have a love for outdoor education and everything related to environmental studies. For four years I worked at a Girl Scout camp in Prescott, AZ where I got to run around in the woods and teach lots of fun activities. Thanks to this experience I learned that in the future I’d love to go back to school to get my Masters degree and pursue a career in outdoor education or environmental justice.

At STEM City I will be looking for grant opportunities, coordinating volunteers for programs like Lunch with an Expert, and working to improve our presence on social media. 

Hello! My name is Lee Bryant and I am serving as the Sustainability VISTA with the City of Flagstaff Sustainability Sector. I am responsible for designing and implementing educational programs to increase scientific literacy and encourage sustainable living in Flagstaff. Specifically, I am excited to make local climate data more accessible to the public, teach community members how their homes can be more energy efficient, and encourage Flagstaff youth to take action to increase the sustainability of their schools and neighborhoods as we head in to an environmentally changing future.

I grew up in east Tennessee but my travels through Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and Montana convinced me the West was were I needed to end up. After three years of living in four states pursuing several avian field technician positions and two AmeriCorps service terms in outdoor education, I decided an M.S. in Biology was my next step. After completing my M.S. at Arkansas State University in May studying the impact of habitat change on avian behavior and demographics, I moved to Arizona with my partner as he begins his own M.S. in Biology studying trees (not birds, but I still love him). When I'm not dressed in business casual staring at my computer screen, I'm off exploring the trails and mountains that call my heart (with binoculars in hand). I am passionate about this Earth and look forward to sharing that passion with the Flagstaff community.

2017-2018 STEM VISTAs

Val Callaway is the STEM Education VISTA Leader, for the Flagstaff STEM Education Project. She completed a 2-year service-term in the National Civilian Community Corps in 2001 igniting her passion for working in the nonprofit and public service sector. Then, after nearly 10 years in Santa Fe, New Mexico doing everything from Wildland Firefighting to serving six years in the New Mexico Army National Guard, Val moved back home to Phoenix, Arizona to be close to family.
 
Val attended Grand Canyon University earning a Bachelor’s of Science in Educational Studies and a Master’s of Science in Leadership while working at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Phoenix. Val has a background in program and curriculum development with youth of varying ages. She successfully designed and implemented several after school programs including an; Urban Arts Program, STEAM Education Program, and a BMX STEM program where teens learned the science of bikes while serving their local community by offering free bike maintenance to youth in the community.

When Val isn’t helping her partner with their three kids and five dogs, you can almost always find them camping, fishing or biking local trails. With her partner being an international level roller derby skater and their children attending a performing arts school, this active family is constantly finding new adventures.

Val is looking forward to serving this upcoming year and being given the opportunity to support an amazing and talented group of VISTAS.

---

Ya'at'eeh! 
Shi ei Erin O'Keefe yinishye. To'aheedliinii nishli. Anishinaabe bashishchiin. Naakai ei dashicheii 'aadoo bilagaana ei dashinaali. 'Akot'eego adzaani nishli. 

I am Dine of the Water That Flows Together clan born for Lac Courte Oreilles Anishinaabe

I am a second year VISTA with the Open Space division of the City of Flagstaff Sustainability Section.

I grew up in Gallup, New Mexico and received my Bachelor of Arts in Applied Indigenous Studies and Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies from Northern Arizona University. I am passionate about working with youth on leadership development, Indigenous Nation building, and environmental sustainability.

My name is Larrea Cottingham and I am the Climate and Energy VISTA at the City of Flagstaff through the Flagstaff STEM Education Project. In my role, I am working to expand the Sustainability Section’s outreach around climate and energy, both in schools and the community. I am developing a climate leadership academy for local high school students that will help them become more climate literate, and engaged in place-based climate action and outreach at home, school and in their community. I am eager to work with community members and local organizations to create ambitious educational opportunities around climate and the environment for everyone in the Flagstaff community.
 
I moved to Flagstaff in 2014 to attend
NAU where I received a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Arts in Teaching Science. Throughout college I played violin and viola in the NAU Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, and the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra. I am passionate about ecological conservation and outdoor education, and inspired to create a career that combines my love of exploring wild places and desire to protect them. I love to spend as much time outside as possible, so I have worked in wildlife biology and as an instructor at the Colorado Outward Bound School. I am always eager to plan the next big adventure, but in the meantime, I can be found exploring the mountains, rivers, and canyons.

My name is Camille Alexander, and I am a first-year AmeriCorps VISTA member at STEM City. I am serving as their Evaluation Coordinator for this year, and my job is creating an inventory of STEM assets in Flagstaff and evaluating these programs for the purpose of bridging the gap between STEM leaders and institutions that traditionally serve students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. I am really excited for this year of service in a wonderful, tight-knit community.
 
I was born in Detroit, Michigan, but Phoenix has been home for most of my life. I graduated from Arizona State University with a B.S. in Biological Sciences, and served as an AmeriCorps member through the American Conservation Experience. My goal is to attend graduate school in the near future and have a career in environmental education. I am most interested in teaching young children the importance of environmental stewardship so they will have a greater appreciation of our natural world as an adult. Everything that I learn through my year of service will put me in the right direction.
 
I look forward to working with you all!

My name is Julia Sullivan, and I am currently working as the AmeriCorps VISTA Youth Engagement Coordinator at Grand Canyon Trust. I grew up in the beautiful Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts before moving to Washington, DC to attend American University, where I earned degrees in Environmental Studies and International Development. I also spent much of my time as a college student training and competing as a member of American University’s cross country/track team. I graduated in 2014 and, after a stint working on international policy with The Nature Conservancy and coaching high school cross country in my hometown, decided to join the Peace Corps. During my two years as a Community Environmental Conservation Volunteer in Panama, I lived in a rural coffee-farming area and worked closely with community members to bring a number of conservation projects to fruition. I also had the opportunity to collaborate with teachers at the community school to facilitate sexual health workshops, leadership training, and camping trips with local youth.
 
I’m thrilled to be in Flagstaff and working in a position that combines my two great passions – environmental conservation and youth. I look forward to connecting diverse young people to the natural splendor of the Colorado Plateau, inspiring them towards environmental stewardship and advocacy, and creating opportunities for them to step into leadership roles in conservation.

My name is Nick Siskonen and I am the STEM VISTA at CAVIAT. I've lived in Flagstaff for over ten years. I originally moved to Sedona with my family in 1998, when I was seven years old. To people from Sedona, Flagstaff is the 'big city' you go to for weekend trips and exciting events. As a kid, Flagstaff meant adventure. 
 
Then in 2007 my family moved to Flagstaff so I could attend Northland Preparatory Academy, sending me on a new academic adventure. After graduating high school, I attended our own Northern Arizona University and focused on psychology and criminal justice.
 
Since then, I have worked as an assistant in a real estate office for two years, but decided to follow in my older sister's footsteps of completing a year of service in the AmeriCorps VISTA program. The Coconino Association for Vocations, Industry and Technology (CAVIAT), is the Joint Technical Education District for Coconino County. I am now the Americorps VISTA at CAVIAT in charge of recruitment and marketing. Once again Flagstaff offers itself as a new adventure and I couldn't be more excited to see where it takes me!

I’m Mallory Schaefer and I will be working at STAR School as a part of the AmeriCorps VISTA STEM team. I moved to Flagstaff in 2013 to attend NAU where I received a Bachelors degree in Environmental and Sustainability Studies and a minor in Sustainable Community Development. For the past four years I have been working at Willow Spring Program Center, a Girl Scout camp located in Prescott, AZ. Working there is what really made me passionate about working with children in an outdoor setting and allowing them to interact with nature in fun and developmental ways! I would love to pursue a career in Outdoor Education in the future where I can continue to inspire a love for nature in today's youth. I am excited to be back in Flagstaff and to have the opportunity to work with and learn from Native youth and Native communities.
 
I will be developing the existing STEM program to meet teacher needs and wants. I will develop after school STEM focused activities that are fun and engaging. I will also be working on setting up an aquaponics system to help students understand the importance of water as well as helping implement a water testing and filtration project for the nearby community. I am looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish in our year of service!

My name is Sally Henkel and this year I’m working with the Grand Canyon Trust as their Citizen Science Volunteer Coordinator. I will be working towards engaging underrepresented youth in citizen science and making conservation more accessible.  I just recently found my way down to Arizona from Missoula, Montana. While Montana has been home for several years, I fell in love with the Colorado plateau on an impromptu river trip a few years back.

I graduated with a BA in forensic anthropology and mountain studies. I have since moved all around working as an international trip leader, a field instructor in Yellowstone, a wildlife biologist, a teacher, and adventure snack extraordinaire. Upon moving to Montana roughly five years ago, I began to discover the depth of my love for conservation and ecology. I’m passionate about connecting people to the landscape, wolverine conservation, and teaching ecological knowledge as a means to understand systems. When I’m not in the office, I can usually be found running around the woods, telling corny jokes or seeking winter- usually they all happen at once!

My name is Madison Ledgerwood. I am currently a STEM VISTA at NAU's Rethink Possible. I was raised and shaped in the southwest which nurtured my love for the land, and of all species. I relocated to indigenous land, Flagstaff, in 2010. This is where earned my degree in Environmental Studies, engaged with the community around the intersection of social and environmental issues in the Action Research Teams (ARTs), and began to uncover my own power and potential. Before long, I realized I wanted to more deeply understand what diverse experiences and understandings led individuals to begin fostering a thriving and harmonious world and what it took for them to devote themselves to such engagement and maintain their well-being. I researched this and earned my MA in Sustainable Communities. I also created Community and University Public Inquiry, an interdisciplinary community-based research program, while in graduate school.
 
My STEM VISTA position cultivates my dream by providing me the opportunity to design curriculum, connect to volunteers in diverse fields, and expand the reach of a program that engages students around the “big questions” of college, such as what they want to major in and contribute to the world.

Hey there! My name is Charlie Humphrey and for the next year I will work in Flagstaff with Grand Canyon Youth as their Office Manager. I will devote my efforts towards smoothing office processes, coordinating volunteers, and engaging in community events.
I grew up among the copper sunsets, vast deserts, and jagged mountains of Phoenix and Sierra Vista. I inherited my love for nature from my father, who taught me early on that we can recognize that we are part of something more when we spend time outdoors. I traded Saguaros for Ponderosas when I moved to Flagstaff in 2013 so that I could study at Northern Arizona University. In May of 2017, I graduated with a BS in Parks and Recreation with an emphasis in Outdoor Education.
GCY works hard to ensure that diverse populations of youth have an opportunity to participate in outdoor immersion programs. That is what I am so proud to member of the Grand Canyon Youth team. I am very excited about this chance to help connect the youth of America to the best that the southwest has to offer.

I am Chelsea Silva and I am serving my second year as a STEM VISTA at the Friends of the Rio de Flag and the City of Flagstaff Sustainability Section. I graduated from NAU’s Environmental Sciences & Policy graduate program in the School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability.

I am serving a second year as an AmeriCorps STEM VISTA volunteer through a joint partnership with the City of Flagstaff’s Sustainability Section and the Friends of the Rio de Flag. As the Watershed Stewardship Aide, I will recruit schools to act as watershed stewards with an emphasis on place-based education, citizen science, and restoration activities. I will also develop fundraising strategies to enhance and sustain watershed stewardship throughout the Flagstaff community. Through these efforts, I aspire to contribute to the broader VISTA goals of capacity building and community empowerment. I am grateful for this opportunity to serve in Flagstaff, and I look forward to working with community stewards as I seek to achieve these goals.

I am Vicki Anderson, and I am serving my second year as a STEM VISTA at the Kinlani Bordertown Dormitories in Flagstaff. After teaching elementary school in California for 25 years, my husband and I found this utopia when rock-climbing in Sedona and Oak Creek, and moved to Flagstaff.

Before I was a teacher, I was a nutritionist and a social worker. My most fun experience was as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Micronesia! Most of my teaching career included running science clubs, science camps, an after school STEM Academy, and a Maker Space. I even taught these subjects at International Schools in Brazil, Philippines, and Italy. I love STEM and was happy to find a position with the Flagstaff STEM Education VISTA Project.

My name is Brian Travers and I am the STEM Education VISTA at Killip Elementary School. Killip is known for its STEM programming and I will have the opportunity to support the school, its faculty, and students throughout my year of service by building STEM based curriculum.
 
I am originally from Providence, Rhode Island, and spent much of my childhood in the greater New England area enjoying outdoor sports and activities such as camping, skiing, ice skating and even picking fresh blueberries! However, ice hockey is my true passion and I hope to find time to engage Flagstaff youth in the joys of the sport.
 
For most of the last 14 years I have worked as an accountant for a variety of big firms. I also worked at the Children’s Hospital in Boston for a year. This work really inspired me and I co-authored an article published in the Journal of Epilepsy.
 
Coming from a family of teachers, I realized I wanted to change my path in life and engage in humanitarian based pursuits. After examining options, I found the perfect fit with AmeriCorps VISTA, and packed my bags and moved from my most recent home in Florida to  become part of the Flagstaff community. After my VISTA term I hope to return to graduate school and further expand my contributions to the community.

My name is Sarah Michal, and I am a first-year AmeriCorps VISTA member at the Civic Service Institute at NAU. I will be working on developing resources and training regarding the opioid epidemic and alternatives to pain management. I will also be creating additional training modules for Senior Corps In-Services and assisting with volunteer recruitment and resources. I am looking forward to traveling to counties throughout Arizona to facilitate trainings.

I grew up in Minnesota and moved to the Phoenix area for my undergraduate degree. I missed real trees and four seasons so about three months ago I moved to my favorite town in Arizona, Flagstaff. I earned my Bachelors in Human Communications and I enjoy working with people. I decided to join AmeriCorps VISTA because I want to help make a difference in the lives of people. I am interested in mental health and addiction issues.
 
In my free time I love spending time outdoors hiking and camping. I will be leading monthly hikes starting in March for a community of girls and women who hike. I am also doing the 52 Hike Challenge and I am on hike 9 out of 52 this year. I am also interested in photography and I enjoy documenting my hikes and adventures via photographs.

My name is Whitney Yarbrough. I am the Knowledge Manager VISTA at NAU’s Center for Science Teaching and Learning. I have resided in Flagstaff, Arizona since 2015. I relocated to Flagstaff from Columbus, Ohio to complete my Master’s degree in Archaeology with a focus in Zooarchaeology and a graduate certificate in Ethnic Studies at NAU. I received my undergraduate degree in Liberal Arts from Wittenberg University in 2015.

I was recently with the Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) for two great years. Here, I gained a respect, love, and understanding of the Colorado Plateau and the Four Corners Region as well as developed lifelong relationships with visitors and staff. I worked with the MNA Discovery Camps Summer 2017, where I taught STEAM-based education to youth. This prepared me for my current position by providing me with a skillset for working in an environment where education is of key importance and supplied me with STEM experience.

My goal is to gain experience in marketing and outreach efforts, expand my skills in database management, and in STEM education. I intend to complete a second Master’s degree in Museum Studies in 2019 and a future Ph.D. focused on Biological Archaeology in 2020. I am excited to work in AmeriCorps and am looking forward to the upcoming year.

​2016-2017 STEM VISTAs

Chelsea Silva
Friends of the Rio de Flag and the City of Flagstaff Sustainability Section
​
Hello there! I am a recent graduate from Northern Arizona University’s Environmental Sciences & Policy graduate program in the School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability. My passions include cycling, cooking, painting, reading, and uncovering the wonders of the natural world through observation and inquiry. I value the guidance and advice of my family and friends, and enjoy great satisfaction in meeting new people whose unique life journeys bring new knowledge to my worldview. I'm told that if I were a bird, I would be a violet-green swallow, swooping about catching insects along the river bank, and nesting peacefully in a tree cavity out West.

For the next year, I will serve as an AmeriCorps STEM VISTA volunteer through a joint partnership with the City of Flagstaff’s Sustainability Section and the Friends of the Rio de Flag. In my new role as the Watershed Stewardship Aide, I will recruit schools to act as watershed stewards with an emphasis on place-based education, citizen science, and restoration activities. I will also develop fundraising strategies to enhance and sustain watershed stewardship throughout the Flagstaff community. Through these efforts, I aspire to contribute to the broader VISTA goals of capacity building and community empowerment. I am truly grateful for this unique opportunity to serve in Flagstaff, and I look forward to working with community stewards as I seek to achieve these goals.

Dylan Lenzen
City of Flagstaff Sustainability Section

I’m excited to be serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA member with the City of Flagstaff’s Sustainability Program. This will actually be my second year serving with the Sustainability Program and am excited to build off of the progress made in my first term. Throughout this next year, my focus will be working with community partners to expand and create programs that provide opportunities for low-income youth and their families to engage with sustainability topics. In particular, I’m very excited to develop a new outreach volunteer program called “Master Recyclers” that will hopefully allow the City and community partners to educate the Flagstaff community about recycling, composting, thoughtful consumption and more.

Over the next year, I hope to draw on my recently completed education at Northern Arizona University as an environmental science major. As an undergrad, I gained experience researching environmental policy, as well as working for an environmental justice organization where I assisted communities looking to achieve a healthy and sustainable environment. In addition to empowering individuals with sustainability knowledge and tools, my passions include exploring northern Arizona by bicycle, reading and listening to live music.

Geoffrey Kie
Arizona Historical Society

Gu’wah’tze. Growing up around places of cultural importance it was synonymous with respecting the land, air and water around me. Cultural values of respect have been the main driver in how I have gone through my day to day life and I firmly believe that how I got to this point in life. I have had the opportunity to attend various programs which had influential leaders. Learning about humbleness I incorporate that into my life as much as I can. But altogether I can simply say I have learned a lot from my grandfathers.
I grew up and attended school for the majority of my life within the Pueblo of Laguna but seeking a challenge my family was supportive and allowed me to attend school in Albuquerque, N.M. which had Advanced Placement classes I desired. Being involved with the school paper the facilitator encouraged me to apply to NAU. My academic endeavors were always supported by my family and encouraged me to attend the university.
While attending NAU I was involved with Connecting Higher Education Indigenously and soon became part of the club’s leadership position. I have gained vast amounts of knowledge with the professors within the Applied Indigenous Studies and do wish to make an impact within my community in the future.  
During my time here I have met the love of my life and married last year. My wife being a VISTA in the past, encouraged me to see if there was a place for me in the AmeriCorps family. Which brings us to now where I have begun to know a great family in the Arizona Historical Society. I am really excited to work with AHS and connecting places of importance to STEM education and engaging the Flagstaff community.  I had worked as a line cook for five years prior to this VISTA position but still consider cooking a passion of mine.

The picture is of my parents and myself at the Native American Convocation 

Holly Havlicek
Center for Science Teaching and Learning, Northern Arizona University

Hello! I just graduated in May from Dominican University with my Master’s in Library and Information Science. Prior to that I attended Northern Michigan University and received my Bachelor of Science in Marketing. Things that I love include my cat Gunther, traveling the world, reading, being outdoors, cooking, and drinking a fine cup of coffee. I originally hail from the Windy City, Chicago. This is a pretty big change of scenery for me but I love the change and am so excited for my year in Flagstaff. I love my very big family and have a wonderful group of friends back home but I am also excited to meet many new people.

I will be working at Northern Arizona University’s Center for Science Teaching and Learning and will be helping rebuild their database, and aiding in marketing efforts in order to recruit more STEM teachers. It is key that we reach educators while they are in school themselves learning how to become teachers. If we can reach them at that point and show them the importance of STEM education that can make all the difference for our future generations to come. 

Jake Burwell
Killip Elementary School

Hello all! I am the STEM Capacity Development VISTA for Killip Elementary. I have a really wide range of hobbies and passions from hiking, backpacking, and snowboarding to accutonic therapy, flow arts, and environmental sustainability. I’m originally from a small ski town in Northern Colorado called Steamboat Springs and I moved to Flagstaff to study Environmental Engineering (and snowboard of course!). However, my desire and passion to help serve compelled me to take a break and focus on helping a greater community and expand the range of my professional development. I am absolutely ecstatic about my first year as a National Service member and I hope to do amazing things for the Killip community. Although I am the youngest VISTA on the Flagstaff STEM City Project, my philosophy is, “shoot for the stars and you will shake the universe.” 

Kate Stanley
Grand Canyon Youth

I have worked, and traveled, to many different corners of the West, and hold its culture and landscape very dear. I am really excited to bring my passion and interest of experiential education to my work with AmeriCorps VISTA. I have spent several years as an outdoor education in the desert and mountains, worked a season or two as a vegetable farmer, and have acted as logistical staff for educational programs.  My academic focus has been on place-based education and environmental anthropology, combining how learn with how we interact with the natural world. I am thrilled to integrate all these ideas into my position with the Flagstaff STEM Education Project. When not at work, I enjoy exploring the canyons and mountains, preserving food, hanging out with dogs and riding bikes around town. 

Maria Archibald
Grand Canyon Trust

I grew up in central North Carolina on the banks of the Eno River, where I developed a passion for being outside and protecting the environment. In 2015, I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Asheville with a degree in Environmental Anthropology, and have since traveled around the country working in environmental education. I worked as a Naturalist for the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, where I taught ecology and led interpretive hiking tours in Aspen, Colorado, as an Environmental Educator for The Ecology School, where I taught science to groups of students in the outdoor classrooms of southern Maine, and as a Naturalist for Point Reyes Summer Camp, where I led outdoor activities and backpacking trips in the Point Reyes National Seashore. I am excited to move to Flagstaff, where I will be the Youth Engagement Coordinator for Grand Canyon Trust. 

Meg Adakai
Museum of Northern Arizona

I am a Flagstaff native and spent years during my childhood running around my site, the Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA). I lived here when I was a teenager while my dad painted a mural in the kiva gallery, and I have worked and volunteered here off and on for most of my adult life. I am a graduate of Northern Arizona University with dual majors in biomedical science and psychology with a minor in chemistry. While at NAU, I worked in a stream ecology lab assisting in entomology and symbiotic relationship research on Fossil Creek and Beaver Creek. I also worked in a cellular and molecular biology lab doing research funded by The Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention studying possible molecular mechanisms of cancer. I love science in all its beautiful shapes and forms! I am especially passionate about conservation and appreciating the beauty and wonder of nature.
Because of my long history with MNA, as well as my love of natural spaces especially around northern Arizona, I truly believe in their mission which is to inspire a sense of love and responsibility for the beauty and diversity of the Colorado Plateau through collecting, studying, interpreting, and preserving the region's natural and cultural heritage. I believe MNA has unique opportunities to spread STEM education through projects learning about Environmental Science, Forestry, Hydrology, Ecology, Biology and all sub fields, Geology, Paleontology, Archeology, Anthropology, Reclamation and Clean Energy Technology, Pollution Control, Water Conservation and Treatment Technology, Environmental Engineering, LEED Building Engineering, and math. I also think that framing STEM education in this way may draw interest from historically underrepresented groups such as many of the Native American tribes around the Colorado Plateau, whose lives and history are deeply connected to the land. I would like to get more youth from these tribes involved with STEM education at MNA in addition to the youth living in Flagstaff and surrounding rural areas. 

Megan Carmel
Flagstaff Area National Monuments

I am working as an AmeriCorps VISTA member this year with the Flagstaff Area National Monuments (National Park Service).  My official title is Public Outreach and STEM Education Liaison.  I am originally from Columbus, Ohio and have always been fascinated by weather and climate.  I received my Bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University in Environmental Geography, then came to Flagstaff and received my Master’s in Climate Science and Solutions.  This year, I will be developing curriculum and performing outreach to schools working with at-risk youth to get these young folks working on service learning projects related to climate change, archaeology, and ultimately, STEM.  I am passionate about climate phenomena and how humans interact with our natural world, so I am so excited to be developing curriculum around these topics.  The Flagstaff region is a fantastic place to study, work, and learn more about culture and climate change due to its arid alpine environment and rich cultural history.  Areas like ours are so susceptible to environmental change, so I hope this will be a great opportunity for these young people to learn, spark an interest, and begin asking questions about what’s going on right in their own backyard.  I am thrilled for this opportunity and can’t wait to see what this year will bring!

Mira Peterson
NAU Action Learning Teams

I am a Flagstaff native who has recently moved back after being away for 14 years. I'm happy to be back and to live and work in the community that I grew up in. Through my life experiences I have come to be passionate about living a Zero waste lifestyle, playing in rivers (often), exploring canyons, practicing permaculture, getting my hands into soil, traveling anywhere often, reading anything and enjoying sunshine. 


For the next year, I will serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer with Flagstaff STEM project by working with NAU's  Action Learning Teams. I will be working alongside NAU freshmen, their professors, and community organizations to foster connections between NAU and the community through social justice oriented projects. I look forward to the community connections that I hope to make this year. 

Robert McCann
STAR School

I have been a software developer and cartographer for the last 15 years working mostly in the oil & gas industry.  A life long maker, I grew up under the careful eye of my stepfather, one of a dying breed of true craftsman, doing fabrication, auto mechanics, and building houses.
I grew up in the southwest and have lived in various parts of Arizona, California and Colorado most of my life.  I'm an avid hiker and outdoors person, having grown up in the San Juan mountains.  I hiked the Colorado trail after quitting my corporate lifestyle and ended up moving near Flagstaff to reconnect with my bio-dad.  I now live off-grid near my project site of STAR school with my fiancé and cat.
I briefly studied computer engineering, but dropped out due to the cost, boredom, and a job offer doing GIS cartography.  Following in the footsteps of my grandfather, an "engineer without a degree" working at Stanford Research Institute, I have pursued my interests in electronics, computers and engineering on my own.
I am now working at STAR school setting up a makerspace and creating project based curriculum, which I'm extremely excited to be doing.  STAR is the first off grid school in the US, serving mostly Navajo students.  It is extremely gratifying to get to apply my interests and skills to such an underserved population.

Vicki Anderson
The Wonder Factory and
Kinsey Elementary School

Hello! I have recently retired after 25 years of elementary teaching to Flagstaff! We found this utopia when rock-climbing in Sedona and Oak Creek. Before I was a teacher, I was a nutritionist and a social worker. My most fun experience was as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Micronesia! Most of my teaching career included running science clubs, science camps, an after school STEM Academy, and a Maker Space. I even taught these subjects at International Schools in Brazil, Philippines, and Italy. I love STEM and was happy to find a position with the Flagstaff STEM Education VISTA Project. I work through The Wonder Factory as a STEM curriculum developer. I hope to make many friends who care about our planet, want to invest in the future of our youth, and enjoy the outdoors.
Solar Smiles!!

Lisa Winters
Grand Canyon Trust

Armed with a background in aquatic ecology research and a love for talking science with kids of all ages, I am excited to be the new Citizen Science Volunteer Coordinator at Grand Canyon Trust! I look forward to creating connections between people and nature, with an emphasis on empowering citizens to conserve and protect our public lands. 

Kathy Farretta
STEM VISTA Leader

​I am serving as the VISTA Leader for the Flagstaff STEM Education Project. This project brings fifteen AmeriCorps VISTA members to Flagstaff in partnership with Flagstaff STEM City to help partner organizations increase Flagstaff’s capacity to provide STEM education opportunities to underserved populations.  For the past seventeen years I have worked in the museum and non-profit sector in Flagstaff managing and training volunteers, guiding tours, and giving public presentations to get people excited about science and history. I also serve on the Boards of the Flagstaff Festival of Science and the Grand Canyon Historical Society. When I am not teaching, or musing over the Progressive Era, I can be found hiking or curled up with a good book.

Erin O'Keefe
City of Flagstaff Sustainability Section

Ya'at'eeh! 
Shi ei Erin O'Keefe yinishye. To'aheedliinii nishli. Anishinaabe bashishchiin. Naakai ei dashicheii 'aadoo bilagaana ei dashinaali. 'Akot'eego adzaani nishli. 
I am Dine of the Water That Flows Together clan born for Lac Courte Oreilles Anishinaabe.  I grew up in Gallup, New Mexico and received my Bachelor of Arts in Applied Indigenous Studies and Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies from Northern Arizona University. I am passionate about working with youth on leadership development, Indigenous Nation building, and environmental sustainability.