What's your educational background?
I graduated with a B.S. in Biology and Psychology from Washington State University in 2019.
What’s your professional background?
After graduating college, I worked at an occupational therapy clinic in Olympia, WA until I moved to Nepal in January 2020 where I was a Peace Corps volunteer! My primary role in Nepal was to teach middle school English, but we got evacuated at the end of March because of the pandemic. This led to me pursuing my AmeriCorps position at the REC! I’ve also worked and volunteered extensively with the special needs community and done a lot of other volunteer work including a renewable energy project in rural Ecuador.
What sparked your interest in working with the REC?
I want to pursue a career in the field of environmental health (a branch of public health) and I’m also passionate about social justice. Since the REC focuses on food justice, a public health issue rooted in racism, their mission aligns perfectly with my interests.
What do you spend time doing outside of work?
I like to draw, paint, exercise, hike, ski, watch documentaries and basically anything outdoors! I also love traveling and getting off the beaten path.
If you were a vegetable, which one would you be?
According to the “what is your spirit vegetable” quiz...
Fennel!
There's a lot to love behind the many layers that make up a unique, subtly-sweet bulb of fennel. It takes some time to peel back those layers, but once this introverted veggie has time to open up, you'll find fennel is grounded, driven, and has a heart brimming with passion. Fennel thrives in the cooler weather during spring and fall, and you'll often find it soaking up the crisp air on long, meandering strolls outside. You don't come across fennel everyday, which makes this quietly confident vegetable all the more mysterious and memorable.
We're excited to have you on the REC team, Annika!