2018 Shenandoah Alcoa Scholars: By the Numbers

Former NatureBridge educator Jenny Stock has built a career helping people connect to places they might never otherwise experience—from coastal trails to the deep sea. Today, she works in Point Reyes, CA as an Education Specialist for NOAA’s Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries, where she develops curriculum, leads communications, and creates interpretive programs and exhibits that highlight why these unique places matter. But her passion for this work began long ago, when she was a field educator at some other special spots along the California coastline.

The 2026 Armstrong Scholars are thriving! They were absolutely radiant when we saw them at resupply weekend, singing, dancing, laughing, sharing stories, and feasting on freshies! It was a joy to hear of their adventures thus far and learn what they are taking from their first week together in the Yosemite Wilderness. Several shared appreciation for being able to be their true selves, to feel truly seen and heard, and to learn so much from one another.

For Tashanda Giles-Jones, hands-on activities are at the heart of an education that leads to true understanding and transformation. In 2014, Tashanda chaperoned an ECS seventh-grade trip to NatureBridge’s Southern California campus in the Santa Monica Mountains. More than ten years later, she’s still bringing students back to experience NatureBridge programs.