Graduate Students

We're creating a new generation of leaders for communities throughout North America. Our graduates come to the program with a wide range of skills and experiences (listed below) and succeed in an equally diverse range of careers, from public and private schools to natural resource agencies and community service organizations.

Graduate Class of 2011

		Erin Fowler Erin graduated from Virginia Tech in December 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Prior to becoming a graduate student, she worked at the University of Washington studying human-nature interactions and human-robot interactions. Erin intends to discover how people learn about and engage with the land around them. Additionally, she would like to foster a sense of place and an honest appreciation of nature in her students and herself. Through learning about the plants, animals, landscapes and cultural background of the North Cascades, Erin aims to practice and promote place-based education.

		Kelsi Franzen Born and raised among the prairie fields and coastal shorelines of central Whidbey Island, Kelsi is a fourth-generation Washingtonian who holds a deeply embedded passion for this place.†A recent graduate of Huxley College of the Environment's Environmental Education undergraduate program at Western Washington University, she loves to teach about the wonders of both the natural world and its interconnectedness with the rich Pacific Northwest cultures.†A former participant of North Cascades Institute's 2002 Girls On Ice program, she is excited to be back in the role of an instructor and give back to the organization that inspired her to teach.†Kelsi enjoys everything outdoors, especially mountaineering and glacial navigation.†Proud of the area in which she was raised, Kelsi hopes to increase future generations' sense of place in the small farming community.

		Megan Magee Megan grew up on the east coast of Florida in Stuart. In 2008, she received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Florida studying entomology and zoology. Throughout college, Megan was active in club sports and entomological outreach programs for children. In addition to developing her skills as a naturalist, Megan enjoys ultimate frisbee, cooking and baking, as well as being generally adventurous. She is looking forward to exploring the natural and cultural ìins and outsî of the Northwest, especially the North Cascades.

		Martine Mariott A native of Bellingham, Washington, Martine earned her Bachelor of Arts in Earth Science for Secondary Education from Western Washington University. While student teaching recently in Costa Rica, Martine explored the environment of the Latin American nation. Inside and outside of the classroom, Martine hopes to enhance the learning experience of her students through interaction with nature. Martine enjoys dancing, reading, laughing and hiking.

		Justin McWethy Justin was raised on the beaches of Virginia Beach in Virginia and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. At James Madison University, he studied psychology with a focus in behavior analysis. After graduation, Justin taught adolescents with autism in Rockville, Maryland. Returning to Virginia, Justin worked as the residential instructor at a home for developmentally-delayed adults. Continuing to teach adolescents with autism, Justin moved to Colorado at the Alta Vista Center for Autism. During the summers, he worked at environmental education camps like Camp Onseyawa in New York and the Colorado Youth Program in Boulder, Colorado. In his free time, he enjoys playing outside in any fashion, producing art on any medium, creating any combination of musical melodies and combining different amounts of hops, malts, yeasts and fermentation.

		Mike Parelskin Mike has a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies from Western Washington University with an emphasis in environmental studies and environmental education. While in school, he spent a summer in Costa Rica studying environmental policy and volunteered as an environmental educator for Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association Streamside Science Program in Bellingham, Washington. Mike has looked for the ghost of Ed Abbey in the Southwest, traveled to Alaska and journeyed down the west coast on a bike tour. Between time spent roaming around, Mike has worked a range of jobs, from washing dishes and cleaning fish tanks to pulling invasives. He enjoys climbing, mountain biking, surfing, snowboarding, cycle touring, learning about plants and, apparently, all things ending in ìing.î

		Rebecca Ryan Rebecca studied Environmental Science and Biology at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. She spent a semester in Ecuador through the Galapagos Academic Institute for the Arts and Sciences, where classes included snorkeling, scuba diving, field studies in the Amazon rainforest and field trips all over the archipelago studying local wildlife and culture. Rebecca spent summers working for Oregon Museum of Science and Industry's Pacific Marine Science Camps, teaching and playing in the California Redwoods, the San Juan Islands and on the Oregon Coast. She spent the past year working for the Pacific Science Center as a teacher and mentor at the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center in Bellevue, Washington. Rebecca enjoys hiking, photography, camping, marine biology and being outside. She is looking forward to teaching and exploring in the North Cascades.

		Brandi Stewart Brandi developed an interest in raising awareness of social, political, and environmental issues while studying criminology, accounting, and geography at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In addition to her studies, Brandi interned for the Environmental Protection Agency, coordinated campus-wide Earth Day celebrations and organized several community service projects and trips. Since graduating in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, Brandi has taught environmental education in Jamaica, assisted in a youth entrepreneurship program and led high school students through a "green jobs"-readiness program. Besides engaging in activism, Brandi enjoys riding her cruiser to the farmers market, trying new vegetarian recipes, crocheting, digging through used bookstores and attending live shows of local bands in her new home of the Pacific Northwest.


		Paul Wiemerslage Paul grew up romping around the woods and waters of northern Wisconsin and Michigan, and he admits to feeling increasingly uncomfortable in proportion to his distance from a fishing rod. He graduated from Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota, with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and has worked for the past three years as a naturalist and program assistant for the Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies in northern Michigan. Paul finds enjoyment in teaching 5th and 6th graders because, as he puts it, he has roughly the same attention span. He feels deeply committed to the role that environmental education plays in transforming young lives and is excited to share his love and wonder for the natural world with the people of the Northwest.


		Corey White Ohio-born and Maine-bred, Corey White is a graduate of the University of Vermont, with a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Civilizations and Philosophy. After through-hiking the Appalachian Trail, he headed west to Montana, where he worked for several years as a cook at Park CafÈ on the outskirts of Glacier National Park. A National Outdoor Leadership School course in Alaskaís Brooks Range convinced him that outdoor education was a vital, appropriate and fun path for a career. During the last eight years, he taught as a naturalist at Woodleaf Outdoor School in Challenge, California during the school year. During the summers, he served as a backpacking guide for Glacier Wilderness Guides in Glacier National Park. The outdoors makes him smile, which can be seen on his face as he hikes, backpacks, canoes, snowshoes, birds-watches and falls while learning to telemark ski.

Graduate Class of 2010

		Kelly Berger B.S., Wildlife Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA; Certificate of Natural Science Illustration, University of Washington Semester Abroad, Galapagos Academic Institute for the Arts and Sciences; Science Interpreter, Pacific Science Center, Seattle, WA; Volunteer, National Zoo, Washington DC; Wildlife Biology Intern, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, Chincoteague, VA. My interests revolve around the natural world and creativity, usually in combination. I enjoy hiking, backpacking, bird watching and camping. I also love to create art with words, paint, scratchboard and pen and ink. I also happen to be a huge bookworm.

		Jenny Frederick B.S., Evergreen State College, Washington Community Outreach Intern, Conservation Northwest, Bellingham, WA; Amphibian Research Field Technician USGS, Glacier National Park, MT; Wildlife Habitat Intern, Thurston County Conservation District, Olympia, WA; Aquatics Research Field Technician, Mt. Rainier National Park, WA; United States Navy, USS Essex, Sasebo, Japan I'm passionate about the natural world and love being out in it. I enjoy hiking, climbing, snowshoeing, and really just wandering around discovering new things.

		Emily Mendell B.A. Geology/Environmental Studies, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA Education Assistant, Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mount Vernon, WA; Interpreter, Denali National Park, AK; Environmental Consultant, Terracon, Lynnwood, WA. I grew up in central Ohio where I learned to catch lightening bugs, love thunderstorms, and drive in the snow. Since leaving the Midwest, I have spent various amounts of time living and working in Walla Walla, the Canadian Arctic, Alaska, and Bellingham. I like plankton, riding my bicycle, roasting coffee, cooking (but not following the recipe), looking at rocks, and getting to know life in the North Cascades.

		Aneka Singlaub B.S., Biology, Minor Environmental Restoration, Mesa State College, Grand Junction, CO Field Biologist for the USDA Forest Service in Stream Ecology/Fisheries (Lake Tahoe, CA) and Amphibian Monitoring (Sonora, CA) in the High Sierra I have interned for the Audubon Society (Grand Junction, CO) during college and worked as a ski instructor (Lake Tahoe, CA) for a number of years. I am fortunate to have family spread out in wonderful places throughout the West, and have spent years traveling, skiing, climbing, backpacking, surfing and mountain biking. I'm looking forward to opening minds and exploring my new home in the beautiful North Cascades.


		Sarah Sutherland B.A., Psychology, minor in Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder Family Integration Clinician, Community Psychiatric Clinic, Seattle, WA; Youth in Focus Mentor & Volunteer, Seattle WA; Mamafest Snowboard for Breast Cancer Volunteer Seattle, WA; Recreation Counselor & Horse Program Coordinator, The Learning Camp, Vail Valley, CO; Mental Health Counselor, Devereux, Denver, CO; Trip Leader & Lodge Counselor, Camp Arcadia, Casco, ME I grew up in Ohio and moved to Colorado to attend college, where I fell in love with the mountains. Prior to attending North Cascades Institute, I lived in Seattle where I was a clinician working with at-risk youth. I am excited to begin my Institute experience with the eventual goal of using my new skills and knowledge to provide children the opportunity to learn about our natural heritage. I also enjoy snowboarding, hiking, backpacking, kayaking and traveling.


		Katie Trujillo B.A. in Business Administration with a concentration in Management and Operations; minor in Human Resources and Personnel. Washington State University, May 2007 AmeriCorps Member in partnership with the Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute, Moscow, ID; Northwest Youth Corps Eugene, OR, Leadership Development Program (3 month service in Idaho)-contracted labor by the U.S. Forest Service, ID. I grew up in Spokane, WA and come from a Hispanic American family. Through my many travels abroad, I have discovered the magnitude of PASSION within me; This is my unfailing motivation to go positively into each day and bring people along the way. I am a joyful person and I spend my days backpacking, kayaking, camping, running, digging, and most of all, jumping into the kind of water that "takes your breath away", literally! I love to explore, all things, all the time. I am a Gemini Super Woman! Currently, I am expanding my Spanish-speaking abilities and slef-learning to play the acoustic guitar. Music is my virtue and my source to empowerment. I am excited to continue working with youths, eager to work with adults, and hope to influence someone's life.


		Nora Venne B.A., Biology, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA After graduating from USD, I served as an Education Instructor at Helen Woodward Animal Center in San Diego, an organization dedicated to people helping animals and animals helping people. I worked running programs and designing curriculum for children ages 2-14 years, teaching humane and science education through hands-on animal interactions. These included classroom outreach programs, middle school leadership programs and summer camp programs. I grew up in Spokane, WA and spent the last seven years in San Diego, going to school and working. I am interested in all things animal and hope to one day run my own environmental/science education facility.


		Meghan Willard B.A., Liberal Arts, focus in Environmental Education, Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA; Intern and Challenge Course Facilitator, Cispus Learning Center, Randle, WA I worked for 7 years with Washington Student Leadership programs in middle school summer camps and love teaching that age group. A Northwest native, I grew up in Tacoma and spent many summers near Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams and the Olympics with my mother, father and younger brother. My hobbies include photography, writing poetry and genealogy.