WNY PRISM is excited to welcome Cecilia, our new Education and Outreach Program Manager. Cecilia grew up on the westside of Buffalo, but much of her childhood was spent on the shores of Lake Erie and the Long Island sound, as well as immersed in the forests and streams of Allegany State Park. She and her family camped cross country when she was eight and traveled to Ecuador for multiple summers in her teen years. Even in her city backyard, Cecilia could often be found in the boughs of a tree. Her love of nature and desire to provide adequate stewardship has roots in these experiences.
She has lived and worked in Thailand, obtaining an Advanced Open Water SCUBA certification, contributing to sea turtle research, and conducting daily dives to mediate and restore coral reefs. Also in Thailand, she taught integrated, inquiry-based science units in an international school serving both native and non-native English-speaking students.
Back in Buffalo, Cecilia combined her overseas teaching experience, water and environmental ecology background and her strong analytical and organizational skills to lead an urban high school through a strategic plan to build a Career and Technical Education program centered around the sustainable use of Buffalo’s water resources, with the goal of achieving greater economic opportunities.
Cecilia holds an M.S. in Great Lakes Environmental Science from SUNY Buffalo State and a B.S. in Environmental Science from Evergreen State College. Her college and post-graduate work combined environmental science, water ecology, and data analytics. Cecilia is thrilled to be a part of the WNY PRISM team and help inspire the community to protect the lands and water they love!