Join us for our debut Story Collider show in Seattle featuring five personal stories on Environmental Science.
Hosted by Melia Paguirigan and Emi Okikawa. Doors at 7:00 pm.
Rasheena Fountain is a writer whose goal is to highlight and provoke discussions about environmental justice, womanhood, sexual orientation, gender identity, and social justice issues through the lens of the Black experience. She is a native of Chicago, IL, now living in Seattle. Fountain has been published in Trail Posse, HuffPost, Embrace Race, Mountaineer Magazine, Thrive Global, Austin Weekly News, IslandWood Blog, and more. She is a past Walker Communications Editorial Fellow with the National Audubon Society. Fountain attained my B.A. in Rhetoric with an emphasis on Creative Writing from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an M.A.Ed. in Urban Environmental Education from Antioch University Seattle. While she has spent the past three years working in environmental nonprofits, she is headed to the University of Washington Seattle to pursue an MFA in Creative Writing in the fall of this year.
Manola Secaira is an environmental justice reporter with Crosscut in Seattle. She also hosts an arts podcast with fields magazine, where she interviews Seattle artists about their work and experiences in the city. Much of her work stems from an interest in telling the stories of vulnerable or underrepresented communities, especially those often left unheard in the environmentalist movement. You can follow Manola on Twitter @mmsecaira.
Lylianna Allala leads on environment and climate policy and outreach for U.S Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. She is dedicated to working across difference to co-develop solutions that will lead us to a more equitable and just world. Lylianna's professional background includes monitoring the endangered Mitchell's Satyr butterfly, prescribed burning for habitat restoration, trail building in the Washington's Alpine Lakes Wilderness and restoring the West Duwamish Greenbelt, Seattle's largest contiguous forest. Lylianna has a B.A in English from Winona State University, a certificate in Non-Profit Management from Georgetown University and a certificate in Wetland Science and Management from the University of Washington. She is a current leadership fellow with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation. Lylianna is the board chair of Got Green, co-chair of the Open Space Equity Cabinet and board member of Short Run Comix and Arts Festival. A lifelong learner, Lylianna enjoys story telling as a way to develop deeper insights about self and the world around her.
Stephanie Ung is an American woman of Khmer, Filipinx, and Chinese descent. She was born and raised in southern California (Chumash territory) and currently resides on Coast Salish land and sea (Duwamish territory) that is known to many as Seattle, Washington. She proudly holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from University of Washington and an M.A.Ed in Urban Environmental Education from Antioch University. Stephanie served as a Naturalist for Seattle Parks and Recreation, focused on community-based environmental education in southeast Seattle. Understanding that people are inherently intertwined with "the environment;" she strives to broaden the scope of environmentalism to include social and environmental justice, and human relationships. Stephanie serves in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee on YMCA Earth Service Corps’ Advisory Board, is an active member of the Environmental Professionals of Color-Seattle, and is an ee360 Community Environmental Education Fellow. For self-care, Stephanie finds solace in catching up with her family, creating zines, making and eating delicious food with friends, and attending community events to stay engaged and connected.
James King Jr., Atlanta/Seattle based environmental & outdoor recreational leader who is dedicated to promoting accessibility and representation of African Americans. He has spent more than 10 years of experience coordinating environmental stewardship projects throughout the United States. Through his work, he has engaged and inspired well people to be active in outdoor recreation, sustainability, and environmental justice issues. He was a Park Ranger at the Historic Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Seattle’s Pioneer Square. James has earned several accolades from both local and national projects related to his work motivating people to get outdoors. He has been recognized Washington Wilderness Recreation Coalition 2018: Next Generation of Outdoor Leaders, National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) Next Generation Advisory Council Top 10 Under 40 (’18). A recent graduate of Antioch University Masters Program of Urban Environmental Education ('18).