A Celebration of Community and Growth: TEEM 2019 Graduation

The truly transformative impact of the program shone through in each anecdote that was shared throughout the night. 

After an introduction from TEEM Program Manager Karli Cowman that included a long list of superlatives about each individual, one by one, NatureBridge staff stood up to talk about the students they had spent the past school year mentoring.

Mentors gifted homemade candles representing personalities of their mentees, plants repotted from their own gardens, homemade hats and acronym poems. The line that I continued to hear throughout the evening that was quite indicative of the nature of the program was from Karli herself: “Follow your heart,” she would say to each individual who approached her with a question.

This year, the TEEM program embodied what it means to be a community, to create connection and to lead by learning to let others lead. But perhaps most importantly, it was a space to make mistakes and take risks.

“It was really nice to have space outside of my high school experience to make mistakes and grow in a place that was separate from the rest of my life,” said third-year TEEM youth Olivia Bronzo-Munich, a senior at Sir Francis Drake High School in Marin. 

Olivia had always envisioned becoming a scientist or professor. Prior to TEEM, she had planned to spend her years between undergrad and graduate school as a science middle school teacher, but now she’s considering teaching environmental education. Though she is heading off to Bowdoin College in Maine in the fall, she hopes to stay in touch with the friends she made through TEEM.
 

“I hope TEEM youth leave [the program] feeling comfortable with themselves, comfortable outside and strength in whoever they chose to be and that they have found their voice,” said Karli. “I hope youth leave feeling empowered to pursue their dreams and become the best version of themselves.” 

Second-year TEEM participant Dahlia Gustafson, a junior at Gateway High School in San Francisco, echoed similar sentiments on building confidence and finding their place through the TEEM program. Moreover, Dahlia discovered a passion for teaching and the importance of environmental education. 

“You see the kids faces lighting up when you realize they understand the importance of the issues facing our environment,” they said. “I’ve realized how important it is to start this early, teaching people the things they can do in their daily lives.

Both Olivia and Dahlia agreed that Karli is one of their “favorite people in the world.”

Karli’s own journey with NatureBridge began when she was a 5th grade student and her class took a week-long field trip to the our Golden Gate campus in the Headlands. Years later, after graduating from UCSC with a degree in Environmental Studies, she found her way back to the NatureBridge family. Since 2010 she has held eight different positions with NatureBridge, left and returned twice. According to Karli, she’s been in the TEEM Manager role or “the best job a person could imagine” for nearly five years.
 

“Long term, I would love to see the TEEM program expand to other NatureBridge campuses,” said Karli. “I am excited to continue to stay connected with TEEM alumni and see how they inevitability change the world!” 

TEEM 2018-2019 Snapshots:

• 11 first-year TEEM youth
• 3 second-year TEEM youth
• 4 third-year TEEM youth
• 9 first-generation college hopefuls
• 9 languages spoken at home, collectively
• 13 high schools represented
• 6 TEEM mentors
• 4 countries represented
• 1,029 total students taught