Graduate Class of 2013

Mollie Behn
A self-proclaimed addict of the national parks, Mollie spent the past five years working for the National Park Service. She graduated from University of California at San Diego in 2005 with a B.A in Political Science/Public Policy and a minor in Environmental Studies. Prior to starting graduate school, Mollie worked in the NPS headquarters in Washington D.C. serving as the special assistant to the NPS Deputy Director and most recently on interpretation and education program development and support and youth outreach. She was a seasonal interpretive park ranger at Sequoia and Acadia National Parks, a resource management and interpretation intern at Yellowstone National Park, and an interpretive volunteer at Cabrillo National Monument. She also served as a congressional intern in the U.S. House of Representatives. Originally drawn to the outdoors through her involvement in wilderness search and rescue teams in California, she is excited to get back into nature to explore, teach, and learn all she can about the fascinating natural world.

Jacob Belsher
Born in 1982 and raised in Yakima, Washington, Jacob’s love of the outdoors grows with each passing year. After graduating from The Evergreen State College in 2007 with a B.A. and a focus on creative writing and western philosophy, he spent three excellent years working for the Forest Service.  He was drawn to the Graduate Program by the promise of being able to develop his interests in education while maintaining a meaningful existence outside the classroom. Though he loves to travel and has wandered extensively, he always comes home to the forests, mountains, and deserts of Washington State.

Sarah Bernstein
Born and raised in Southern California, Sarah began adventuring into the Sierra Nevada Mountains to camp, hike, and spend time outdoors at a very early age. She feels fortunate to have spent many hours and days exploring and soaking up rays along the shores of the Pacific Ocean, including time spent at the University of California Santa Barbara earning her Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies. During her undergraduate studies Sarah lived in Australia with the cassowaries and kangaroos studying rainforest ecology. Her education and experiences led her to work with a number of environmental and educational programs, which in turn have brought her to the North Cascades. Sarah loves to travel, and in her spare time enjoys taking photographs and baking cookies.

Susan Brown
The subtle beauty of Susan's childhood home in Kentucky stands in sharp contrast to her new surroundings in the North Cascades. Her early days exploring the wilderness of her own backyard led her to study Environmental Science for her undergraduate degree at Morehead State University. For several years Susan's future has been coming into focus around the idea of connecting people to the natural world. Experiences working at various non-profits from the southeast to the northwest have all lead her to take the next steps towards a career as an educator. As she settles into her new home, Susan is excited with the prospect of adventures in the North Cascades.

Emmanuel Camarillo
Emmanuel was born and raised in the city of El Paso, Texas. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Science and a minor in Geography from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. He spent his years at Truman teaching kids and adults about the amphibians and reptiles in the school’s herpetarium. He started Truman State University's Mammal Museum Education Program, which taught college students about the mammals found in Missouri using the specimens from the museums. Although he has very little knowledge of the environment found in the Northwest, he looks forward to learning as well as teaching students about the North Cascades.

Elise Ehrheart
A Washington native, Elise was born in Seattle and raised on Lopez Island, in the San Juan Islands. She loves exploring tide pools, hiking through dense forests, and watching for whales off Lopez. Elise graduated from the University of Washington with dual Bachelors in English and Political Science, specializing in Environmental Policy. After graduation, Elise worked as a Parks Specialist with King County Parks and Recreation. In 2009, Elise completed a year-long cycling journey through seven countries cycling over 10,000 miles, with only one flat tire! During her time abroad, Elise taught middle school in Thailand and worked with a Nepalese non-profit, caring for injured and sick street animals in Kathmandu. Since her return to Washington, Elise has worked teaching environmental education with Sound Experience and as an afterschool tutoring program instructor. Elise now serves as the Skagit County Program Coordinator for Ocean Adventure Racing Northwest.

Kiira Heymann
Kiira grew up in New England and graduated from Colby College in Maine in 2008, where she studied English and Environmental Studies. Kiira has explored her passion for the environment by spending summers as a backpacking guide for teenagers, studying plants and working at farms in Maine and California, and traveling abroad to Australia and India. In addition to ID-ing plants, favorite things include running in the woods, knitting, yoga, and thick works of fiction. Kiira is excited to find a new home in the North Cascades and to combine her interests in education and the environment at NCI.

Christen Kiser
Christen spent much of her youth amidst the big mountains, granite boulders, and expansive treescapes of Northern California, developing a passion for the outdoors at an early age. After graduating from Lewis and Clark College with a degree in Environmental Studies and Natural History, she returned to her native Sierra Nevada Foothills as a field manager on a small organic vegetable farm, educating people about the importance of local agriculture in building and sustaining resilient communities.  Most recently she could be found managing Farmer’s Markets in the greater Seattle area and delighting in the smell of freshly baked bread. Christen enjoys yoga, climbing, hiking, and cooking, especially when it involves good friends and good beets. She looks forward to defining her sense of place in the North Cascades and helping to awaken a love for the natural world in the hearts of others.

Ashley Kvitek
Ashley is a true Wisconsinite – she grew up on the family farm and loves her Green Bay Packers! She spent her free time growing up literally running around the countryside and learning to appreciate the world around her. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2010 with a BS in Sociology and big but vague plans to change the world. Her time in La Crosse really brought out the pressing issues relating people to their environment and the social injustices that go along with those issues. After graduation, she realized that a job would be important, so she started working for a local healthcare organization in Green Bay and volunteering for a small nature preserve. One year and one “Marsh Trek” seasonal class later, she realized that the conventional job market was not for her. Four months later, she found herself and her life packed into a car and driving across the country to start the adventure of a lifetime!!

Colby Mitchell
Colby found his affinity for the natural world under a rock in his childhood backyard in Connecticut.  A passion for mucking about only grew in the tidal flats of Cape Cod Bay or while fishing and sailing in the waters from Long Island Sound to the Gulf of Maine.  After completing his undergraduate study of Biology in Vermont, Colby moved to the midwest where he discovered a passion and career in teaching and learning. In his six years residing in Chicago, Colby worked for Shedd Aquarium where he most recently coordinated onsite community-based and field-based programming for teens. In this role he took a deep dive into learning theory and began to skim the surface of the possible forms and functions of non-profit organizations. Ultimately, Colby aspires to collaborate with peers on the design and creation of a next generation learning-orientated non-profit.

Jess Newley
Jess thought she had it all figured out... she graduated from WSU with degrees in Marketing and International Business, got a fancy job in downtown San Francisco and met the man of her dreams. Everything was going great until she stumbled into a new passion: the ocean. It didn’t take long for her to trade in her high heels for fins and she found herself working as a Scuba instructor in both the Middle East and south Africa. Spending hundreds of hours in the water gave her a unique opportunity to see the beauty, fragility and importance of our oceanic ecosystems. Jess hopes to start her own program that will work with communities around the world to develop sustainable fishing practices and set up dedicated Marine Protected Areas. So, here she is! Jess is crazy about SCUBA diving and would love to take you anytime. When she's not 100 ft below the surface you can find her taking bike rides with her dog/child Martini, hanging out at the beach and exploring the Cascades whenever possible.

Alex Patia
Alex was born and raised in Springfield, Illinois where he spent much of his time growing up exploring in the outdoors. Early on he developed a habit of carrying field guides everywhere to aid in “poking around.” Alex followed his passion for the natural world to the Pacific Northwest where he lived in Olympia, Washington attending The Evergreen State College. Here Alex studied sustainability issues, zoology and other environmental studies topics. His studies took him throughout Washington and also such faraway places as Chilean Patagonia, Big Sur California, the rainforests of Central America and the swamps of Louisiana. At Evergreen Alex decided he would merge his interests in conservation and working with youth by becoming an environmental educator, which is what brought him to the North Cascades Institute. In his free time Alex enjoys cooking vegan food, running, hiking, camping, sketching, bird watching and catching snakes.

Erin Soper
Growing up in Tacoma, Erin enjoyed a childhood spent outdoors. From picking peaches on the eastside to backpacking in the Olympics, she loved camping, fishing, road trips and secretly enjoyed doing chores on her family’s small farm. Since graduating from Western Washington University with a B.A.E. in Interdisciplinary Child Development and K-8 Teaching Certificate, Erin has taught in both traditional and nontraditional settings.  Beyond the classroom, she led backpacking, canoeing and primitive camping trips in both Northern Michigan and Western Washington. Erin spent the last four years in Michigan at the Chippewa Nature Center. As Lead Teacher and Program Coordinator for Nature Preschool, she puddle jumped, snow shoed, caught insects and collected herps all while singing songs with three and four year olds.  Erin is excited to be back in Washington and looks forward to living in the North Cascades. She can often be found with a camera or book in hand; listen for her laugh and you’ll be sure to find her exploring, naturalizing or enjoying the company of friends.

Katie Tozier
Katie joins the North Cascades community from the small mountain town of Twain Harte, California, located just north of Yosemite National Park and south of Lake Tahoe. Growing up in such a corner of the world – with remarkable landscapes, desirable natural resources, and thoughtful family and community members – Katie fell in love with the environment at an early age. It wasn’t until she left, however, that she realized her true love of the Sierras. She earned her BS in Environmental Science and Management (emphasis in Natural Resource Management), with a minor in Education, from UC Davis in June, 2011. She spent her summers home from school working for the US Forest Service, Stanislaus National Forest – first as an Archaeology Aide, and twice as an Interpretive Aide. Despite the overwhelming challenges posed by global climate change, Katie finds hope in the power of environmental education, and intends to help foster a passion for positive environmental stewardship and responsible resource use in the years to come. In her free time, Katie enjoys chocolate, painting, dogs, and good movies.

Liza Dadiomov
Liza was born in Russia, grew up in Israel and moved to the Seattle area at the age of 10. She attended Santa Clara University in Northern California, studying Environmental Studies and Psychology. During college, she spent every summer on beautiful Orcas Island in Washington's San Juan Islands, working for YMCA's Camp Orkila and experiencing the joys of teaching environmental education. Liza then studied abroad in Denmark, where she was an assistant at a forest preschool and realized that she could make environmental education a career. After college, she returned to the glorious Pacific Northwest, spending two years teaching outdoor education at Camp Seymour and Camp Orkila, traveling, and exploring the outdoors. Liza loves to play games, sing silly songs and witness kids be excited about learning outside. She also enjoys skiing, hiking, reading books and anything involving food!

Cait McHugh
Cait grew up catching lightning bugs and salamanders just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. During her undergraduate work at Wesleyan University, she majored in environmental studies and English and sought out opportunities in the community to work with children in the outdoors. Following graduation, Cait took on environmental science instructor positions in Tennessee, North Carolina, and, most recently, southern California. Cait loves bananagrams, birds and aquatic macroinvertebrates!

Kim Hall

Born and raised in Kentucky, Kim discovered her calling as an environmental educator while volunteering for a local nonprofit in her college town.  Following graduation from Centre College where she studied Anthropology, Kim’s passion for environmental education led her to New Mexico where she volunteered with Americorps as an environmental educator and youth conservation corps crew leader.  After her Americorps stint, she moved to Alabama to work at a residential environmental education center called Camp McDowell.  She joined the Peace Corps in 2010 and served as an Environmental Education Extension Agent in a small village in Senegal, West Africa, providing her with a global perspective to nature education.  Kim loves working with kids of all ages, but hopes to one day open a nature preschool in the Southeast.  

Hillary Schwirtlich
Hillary grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, where she spent much of her youth finding hidden natural places in a city known for its groomed beaches, strip malls and oil refineries. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Linguistics, she served on an AmeriCorps trail crew in Washington State and realized that she wanted to make a career out of helping people connect with the natural world. After serving eleven months as an AmeriCorps Community Service Coordinator for the Mt. Hood National Forest, she decided to follow a dream and hike the Pacific Crest Trail. Hillary is excited to learn ways to foster a sense of place, wonder and respect for the natural world in others. When not exploring the wild places of the Northwest on foot, she enjoys rock-climbing, reading, cooking and traveling, especially when friends are involved.

Sahara Suval
Sahara moved to Stanwood, Washington from California when she was 11, and considers herself a "proper Washingtonian." With a degree in American History and Journalism from the Evergreen State College, she hadn’t intended on pursuing Environmental Education until she got a job working trails with the Washington Conservation Corps. After two backcountry seasons of trail maintenance and a season working as an interpretive ranger for Olympic National Park, Sahara decided to fuse her communications background with her love of the outdoors. A true Pacific Northwesterner, Sahara enjoys hiking, biking, trail running, swimming, snowshoeing and nearly all things outdoor recreation. Her true passion is horseback riding and she has been riding for over 15 years and enjoys several different disciplines including hunter-jumpers and trail-riding. Sahara is excited to share her love of the natural world with others and hopes to someday work with a therapeutic wilderness program focusing on juvenile rehabilitation.

Andrea Reiter
A genuine Pacific North Westerner, Andrea grew up in Selah, Washington spending as much time outdoors as possible.  Andrea graduated from Yakima Valley Community College with an associates degree in Science, then moved on to Central Washington University where she got her bachelors degree in Exercise Science. She has worked for the past three years prior to coming to NCI in a physical therapy clinic.  From an early age Andrea has always been interested in animals and nature; she always had a dog and became a junior forest ranger in the Mt. Rainer National Park. Andrea has gone on many adventures with her family including cycling, white water rafting, hiking, and canoeing. Shortly after high school, Andrea discovered scuba diving. The love for underwater life drew here to the North Cascades Institute to learn how to protect the waters of the Salish Sea. When Andrea is not underwater, you can find her hanging out with her dog Annie.

Lindsay Walker
Lindsay grew up sniffing flowers and pulling crawdad’s out of the creek in Richmond, Virginia. Her formal place-based education began in 8th grade with a 3-day Chesapeake Bay Foundation program on Smith Island followed by a year of integrated curricular activities focused on the bay. Lindsay earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from Belmont University. Her experience in environmental education includes a summer interpretation internship at an urban nature center in Nashville and teaching programs on trees and recycling in Nashville elementary schools. Prior to beginning graduate studies, Lindsay coordinated Vanderbilt University’s campus recycling program. Lindsay dreams of starting a nonprofit environmental education center in the southeast upon completion of her Master’s degree. In her spare time, Lindsay likes to play outside, square dance, cook veggies and play the kazoo.

Ryan Weisberg
Ryan was born and raised in Bellingham, Washington, and spent a lot of time growing up in the North Cascades. In 2009, he graduated from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington with a focus in Queer Studies and Ethnography. Prior to starting the graduate M.Ed. program, Ryan worked for several years as a Seasonal Naturalist for North Cascades Institute, teaching about and exploring the upper Skagit with people of all ages. He is an avid writer, hoping to be a published author someday, and enjoys hiking, camping, canoeing and playing the violin. Ryan loves the grey, rainy weather of the Pacific Northwest and is looking forward to future adventures in this beautiful region.