Meet our new AmeriCorps VISTA!

Hi, my name is Ze (she/her) and I’m an AmeriCorps VISTA at Mississippi Park Connection. My role is to help build capacity for fundraising and communications, and support funding for the BIPOC In The Outdoors events. I studied Communications and Studies in Cinema and Media Culture at the University of Minnesota.

I am originally from Thailand but have been living in Minnesota for most of my life. Nature has always been a big part of my life. My mother is a natural healer and forager—just like her mother and her mother before her—and although I have a long way to go I am excited to carry that baton forward. As an Indigenous Hmong woman, I feel a sense of honor and responsibility to carry on the longstanding tradition of stewarding the earth, and I am privileged to learn about medicinal plants and food foraging from my elders.

Some of my favorite national parks include Bryce Canyon, Joshua Tree, and Zion National Park. Every summer I make it a tradition to camp and hike along the Superior Hiking Trail, and hope to thru-hike it in the near future. When I am not outdoors, chances are I am home enjoying a psychological thriller book, watching the latest tv shows and movies, or hanging out with my dog!