Student of the Year Marisa Granados, One Year Later

Growing up in New Mexico near the foothills, Marisa has had a love for and connection to the outdoors for as long as she can remember. It's what led her to NatureBridge in the first place. But it was that NatureBridge environmental science program experience in Olympic National Park that marked a pivotal moment. It sparked something within Marisa. Inspired by the experience, she participated in a NatureBridge Summer Backpacking program in 2017 before the start of her senior year at Bosque School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She especially thanks her educator Dee for this transformative journey.

With the support of the U.S. Forest Service, Marisa developed a handbook and curriculum for middle school students so that they may learn and apply environmental stewardship in small, meaningful ways. In addition to the stewardship program, Marisa also worked to establish a mentor program with eighth grade students at her school back home. 

Marisa always wanted to do something that would make an environmental impact, but her NatureBridge experience illustrated all that was possible—and now the sky is the limit. It led her to pursue the degree she is working toward now at Colorado State, with which she plans to do big things.

“I’ve always had that connection to nature but when I went to NatureBridge and began to learn about the things that I could do and the things that needed to be done, it was a full 180-degree turn from wanting to pursue a career in architecture,” Marisa explained.

Marisa wants to ensure that young people one hundred years from now have the same opportunities in the outdoors that she has had—she wants to save the planet. Passionate about both the social and hard sciences, she selected her course of study for the freedom it gave her. Though it includes chemistry, calculus, physics and biology, Marisa also has the option to study the social sciences. Similarly at NatureBridge, our programs foster whole child development—in addition to science lessons, students are also learning local history and culture, building relationship skills and increasing social awareness.

Marisa is also part of the honors program and has been enjoying the honors seminars offered at her school. 

In 2018, Marisa founded Earth Guardians Albuquerque, a chapter of an international youth environmental activism organization. That same year, she also founded The Planet Justice Project, a climate activism and action based blog that she dedicates her time to updating regularly. And last January, Marisa became NOLS Wilderness Medicine certified.

Interested in what else Marisa has already accomplished? Check out her recent contribution to Our Climate Voices—the story of Latinx mom Patricia Nelson of Greely, Colorado, who is fighting against environmental racism and the oil and gas industry for the health of her son.

And the advice Marisa would give to future NatureBridge students of the year?

“Use the momentum that you have and your passion to do good because people want to support you,” she said. “People really believe in you and they're there to make your dreams come true.”