Hello everyone,
My name is Elizabeth Guzman, and I am a STEM student who recently graduated from North County High School (NCHS). I am currently a Steward candidate in Class 14, and I have learned a lot by being a Steward with WSA. These lessons include creating better communication skills (collaborating with different stakeholders/partners) and learning how to manage large-scale projects. I joined WSA as a high schooler because I want to pursue a career in the environmental field and what better way to do it than by getting involved in my community! I found that the certification course was easy to manage because of how well it was organized. I was able to plan so I can fit in my classwork and still be an active Steward by knowing important dates ahead of time. My favorite aspect of the course was how we were able to participate in site assessments that were introduced in class. We weren’t just able to learn skills but apply them to real-world situations when we went out in the field during class field trips.
Elizabeth delivering her native plants program to North County High School’s Environmental club.
“WSA is like the parent that guided us into the environmental field”
For my capstone project, I worked with Alyssa Lee, another NCHS student who is also in Class 14, to create a two-part presentation on rain barrels and native plants that we were able to present to our classmates. Our capstone project went very well. We prepared a Kahoot (a trivia game platform) for each of the presentations and students were able to compete for sustainable prizes! Because of our teachers and WSA’s support in our endeavors, we were able to gather over 30 students to learn about these practices to mitigate stormwater! I can take away many lessons from being a steward, as many of them will be used in college, especially aspects of communication. I truly appreciate the time I have spent with WSA as it has only fueled my growth in the environmental field. I look forward to continuing studying the environment and sustainability at Cornell University in the fall!
Elizabeth, Alyssa, and fellow Class 14 stewards at their class project site.
Elizabeth Guzman
Class 14 Steward Candidate