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Meet The 2022-2023 Pinole Valley High Sustainable Youth Interns!

Introducing this year's Sustainable Youth Interns! Learn why this group of 15 Earth Team interns joined the program and are passionate about the environment

Hello! I’m Nicole Castillo and I’m a senior at Pinole Valley. My pronouns are They/Her and I’m a returning ET member and I loved my time last year! ET made me realize the passion I have for this field and I plan to pursue a career in environmental engineering. I’m so happy to have the opportunity to give back to my community and combat our environmental issues as an intern. I love hiking (Point Pinole ), journaling, and crochet. Fun hobbies! I’m so excited to continue my work this year with my peers! ✩

Hello! My name is Carl Lawrence Rimando and I am a senior at Pinole Valley High School. This is my first year as an intern and I decided to join because I love to go outdoors whenever I can. I also wanted to have more confidence in my public speaking, be more active, and have an impact in my community. I love to play basketball and spend time with my loved ones. I am excited to be a part of Earth Team and work with my fellow peers. 

Hi! My name is Simran Gurung and I currently attend Pinole Valley High School as a senior. I really liked being an Earth Team intern last year and giving back to the community through the environmental activities that we did. Therefore, I decided to come back and relive those experiences again but gain new ones along the way. To further my interest in doing something good for the environment, I am also an active member of the Interact and Ocean Conservation club! What I like to do during my free time are to read, babysit my younger siblings, ride bicycles, take nature walks and watch foreign movies. I am excited to see what new skills and projects I’ll be able to experience in my last year as an Earth Team member! 

Hi, my name is Jordan and I am a junior at Pinole Valley High School. I joined Earthteam in hopes of stepping out of my comfort zone, experiencing new things outdoors, getting involved within my community, and the ultimate incentive, the stipend. In my free time, I spend my time with my two cats, Tobi and Mobius.

Hello! My name is Angella and I am a returning senior for Earth Team at Pinole Valley High School. Last year has inspired me to do more for our environment. I helped my friend organize a club for our school called Ocean Conservation to encourage other students to help their community. In my freetime, I play Minecraft with my friends because I enjoy gathering materials to create cool structures such as a giant beehive! 

Hi, my name is Sophia and I am a senior currently attending Pinole Valley High School. I decided to re-apply for Earth Team because I strive to give back to my community and utilize this opportunity to gain insight on local environmental issues, connect with peers, and obtain valuable skills sets applicable to future workspaces. Purpose aside, I enjoy creating art with various mediums to express different perspectives and values while also venturing out with friends, discovering food spots to fill my bottomless appetite.

Hi! My name is Derek and I am a senior at Pinole Valley High School. This is my second year with EarthTeam; I originally joined to make change in my community, while also spending more time outdoors. One thing that I enjoy most about EarthTeam is how many opportunities are offered to advocate and help our environment. I enjoy all things music related, and I am a section leader in my school’s marching band.

Hello hello! My name is Samantha and I’m a senior at Pinole Valley High School. I reapplied to Earth Team because I loved my experience last year. This year, I joined Earth Team to contribute more to my community while gaining leadership and teamwork abilities. One of my favorite things to do in my free time is paint while listening to music. Painting helps stimulate my brain while making me feel at peace.

I am happy to be in this team for a second time. This internship really opened my eyes and showed me how important it is to care for the environment by not just picking trash up but also about how nature itself can damage the environment. I joined to improve my social skills. I like to read, listen to music, and binge shows. I have a cat named Daisy and a dog named Preciosa.

Hello, I am Vannapa Douangphrachanh, a senior at Pinole Valley High School. I joined Earth Team because of my enriched experience last year. I had an amazing time surrounded by people who shared the same passion of environmental activism, and knew I wanted to continue my senior year. Aside from Earth Team, I am also the Health Academy Co-Lead at our school, and we are looking for monetary and equipment donations. I love learning about sustainable fashion, making clothes out of recycled fabric, and trying out new creative hobbies. 

Hi, I am Natalie Szumlas, a sophomore at Pinole Valley High. I am in my second year working with Earth Team! I joined Earth Team because in my first year it really brought me out of my comfort zone and I feel like I’ve grown with this team. It helped me a lot with being able to speak up and bring awareness to topics within our community. I have been exposed to so many new and different experiences like public speaking, going in creeks, and making friends along the way. Some things to know about me is that I have 2 dogs, Pearlie and Bear. I force them to wear clothes around christmas time because it’s my favorite holiday. I hope to have another event filled year with Earth Team and new friends!

Hey! My name is Maddox and I’m a junior at Pinole Valley high school. The reason why I joined is because I want to become more active in my community and help create a healthier environment for everyone to enjoy. Also, I’ve learned a lot about nature already in my short amount of time participating in this. Outside of Earth Team, I like to play sports and cook. I am currently a wrestler and I play basketball almost everyday when I have the time. I am very happy that I was chosen to join Earth Team and I think it is a great opportunity.

Hi!! My name is Elizabeth and I’m a current Senior at Pinole Valley High School. I joined Earth Team in order to help take care of our environment and to help keep Pinole clean and environmentally friendly. I’m passionate about our ongoing climate crisis and I hope to be part of the change that our future needs. Some things to know about me is that I love reading, writing poetry, watching movies, hanging out with my friends, going to concerts, and making art!

Hello, my name is Melanie and I’m a sophomore. I also go to Pinole Valley high school, and it’s been very interesting being in this school. I heard about Earth Team from a friend and it sounded exciting to be in. I love learning new things about the environment and educating myself on similar topics. I want to help out the world, gain new experiences and meet new people. I’m part of the ceramics club and I’m also in color guard. I like to draw and watch cartoons, and I’ve recently started to draw digitally. 

My name is Randy Snook and I am a senior at Pinole Valley High School. I joined for a second year in order to further benefit my community and the environment in my own way. I also joined in order to work on projects with like-minded environmentalists. In my free time I like to do orienteering, which is a land navigation sport that requires a map and compass. I have a dog named “Neva” and she is gray and white. I really like learning about others and hearing their stories.

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