Hi I’m Sam Wensley and I’ll be the new Nisqually River Education Project Environmental Education AmeriCorps member this school year! I was raised in the Pacific Northwest with a great love and respect for our environment, and I have always wanted to dedicate my life to working in its defense and support. I also grew up participating in Outdoor Education and Youth Leadership programs throughout my school years, which inspired me to pursue my college degree in a field that provided a foundational understanding of local and global problems from an environmental perspective. My coursework at University of Washington not only prepared me to understand, analyze, and solve environmental and sustainability challenges, but to also develop valuable organizational and interpersonal skills that I’ve transferred beyond the university.
As a young student, I struggled in traditional school settings and “the Y” was like a second high school to me, shaping my academic, physical and social development. Eager to give back to the community that helped me identify my passion and purpose, my first work experience after earning my degree was with the YMCA’s Center for Community Impact in their partnership with Tacoma’s Stewart Middle School, an after school program comprising over 75% of at-risk students from low-income families. This position, combined with my YMCA outdoor education work experience, provided extensive opportunities for recreational instruction and supervision.
I’ve always enjoyed working within a team, and have been inspired by people who’ve committed themselves to a life of service for a common good. Be it helping other people or stewardship of the environment, having a positive impact on the world is important to me, and AmeriCorps has been a great opportunity to pursue that goal. I’d rather be out there making a direct impact to restore and protect the environment, like in habitat restoration, or recruiting and training leaders than working in some office or trying to sell people things they don’t need. My commitment to community-building and leadership development has been shaped by being raised as an avid conservationist and “military kid” in the Pacific Northwest, and also growing up within the YMCA community. This combination of interests led me to become involved in outdoor education and leadership programs as a teen, focus on environmental and sustainability in college, and serve in the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps to “Be The Greater Good.” Continuing my civic engagement with the Nisqually River Education Project will help me progress in my career goals and personal development.
Though I’ve worked as a camp counselor, environmental educator, and youth lead, with each new experience I’ve learned just as much as I’ve taught. With this new posting, I aspire to further expand the foundation of experience and expertise I’ve built up with the University of Washington and my professional career, and help foster an appreciation and a desire to conserve and protect the natural beauty of our beautiful state. I look forward to working with the NREP team and the Nisqually community!
Feel free to contact me with any questions at sam@nisquallyriver.org
