Hi! My name is Kayla Williams-Booze, and I am Earth Team’s Social Media Coordinator. Come check out my story on how I went from being an Earth Team intern to an employee!
I joined Earth Team during my first year at San Lorenzo High after my friend Keahly and I talked about climate change and its effects. She recommended the Earth Team internship and I remembered the presentation they gave in a previous science class. Right off the bat I was interested and wanted to learn more, so she sent me the application. I filled it out, had my over-the-phone interview, passed it, and then I got a concussion and could barely stay at school and thought I wouldn’t be able to stay in the program. But after some persuasion and begging, my mom let me stay. As time went on, I attended the meetings and had a lot of fun, made new friends, and learned a lot of exciting things. But just as many things were interrupted because of the Covid Pandemic, my journey with Earth Team came to a halt, the world shut down, and I moved to Antioch.
(Me and my fellow interns being photographed at Hayward Regional Shoreline participating in a litter clean-up)
I wasn’t sure if I’d ever return to an internship quite like Earth Team. But then, in the middle of my sophomore year, my friend once again told me that Earth Team was coming back, but online because we were still in our houses. At first, I wasn’t sure if I would join; after all, I didn’t know how it would work out since I was so far away and my social anxiety had worsened. After some thought, I figured why not! So I joined again, thinking it would be my last year since I would be moving schools. The next thing I knew, it was my junior year of high school and I was going to Antioch High. I picked Antioch because I found out it had an Earth Team program. At the beginning of the year, I kept to myself for the most part, as I didn’t know anyone; that was until club rush, and I saw the Earth Team booth and some people I had recognized. I walked up, introduced myself, and said that I had been doing Earth Team since freshman year and wanted to do it again. Rejoining Earth Team helped me start to open up in school, and I began to make friends and interact more with my peers; It’s an experience like no other.
(Soil quality testing at Rock City my junior year)
Finally, it was my last year of high school, which also meant it was my last year with Earth Team. I went in just as excited as when I first started. As the year went on, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do after graduating. I was talking to Naomi, my Earth Team coordinator, about looking for jobs and how I didn’t know what I wanted to do once I graduated, and then suddenly, I wondered if I could somehow continue my work with Earth Team. During our next meeting I asked Naomi about my idea and she said she would see if it was possible. A few months later Naomi contacted me to ask if I still wanted a job at Earth Team as a Social Media Coordinator. I was so excited and said yes! So far it has been a fun learning experience! I can’t wait for everyone to see what I have planned for Earth Team!
