Growing up, Jessica spent half of her time in California and the other half across the Pacific Ocean in Taiwan. The two distinct cultures, natural resources, and geography have shaped her world view and sparked creativity in her work. She has been fascinated by the Bay Area's entrepreneurial spirit since she began her Masters of Development Practice Degree at UC Berkeley. She co- founded a sustainability pop-up museum, the Museum of Tomorrow, to capture the attention of youth & young adults through a playful, action-oriented approach.

In addition to outreach, Jessica has been working on systematic decarbonization and resource conservation at SMCCCD as the Sustainability Coordinator. Currently her main work surrounds Climate Action Plan implementation. Outside of work, Jessica is an avid traveler who enjoys discovering small local cuisines & sustainable shops, and expressing her creativity through content creation and  swimming. 

Annalise is Bay Area native who graduated from the Cañada Middle College program and then went on to study Environmental Science at University of California, Los Angeles. She brings valuable professional experience in urban forestry, gained through her fellowship with the California Climate Action Corps. Most recently, Annalise served as the Green Facilities and Operations Analyst at the San Mateo County Office of Education, where she advised K-12 schools on waste management and regulatory compliance. 

At the District, Annalise is excited to continue her work in zero waste initiatives and energy efficiency projects. In her free time she enjoys reading, sewing, and baking!

McKailla grew up in Ohio before moving to California for college. She earned her BS in Conservation Biology and Ecology, BS in Geographic Information Systems, and MS in Biology online through Arizona State University in 2025. She is passionate about environmental science and conservation, hoping to one day study the effects of climate change on an ocean environment. During her schooling, McKailla gained valuable experience through a study abroad program in Belize centered on climate change and biodiversity, and through volunteering with her local organizations.

At the San Mateo County Community College District, McKailla is focused on zero waste goals through organizing zero waste events, student workshops, and working with sustainability ambassadors and leaders. She hopes to inspire young leaders to make positive change.

In her free time, McKailla enjoys reading, hiking, volunteering at the Marine Mammal Center, and spending time in nature.

A lifelong passion for volunteering and public service took Ash from their hometown in the Bay Area to UC San Diego, where they earned their B.A. in Anthropology and Climate Change. In their last year at UCSD, Ash interned with the university's Center of Global Justice and their Mellon Fellowship program, where they gained valuable knowledge and experience in youth mentoring and outreach, climate science education, and field work and research. Their capstone project involved collaborating with Fellows and staff on the Green Schoolyards Initiative.

Now back in the Bay Area, Ash works with the San Mateo County Community College District's Sustainability Hub as one of the 2026 - 2027 Zero Waste Interns. Their work will revolve around diversion of food waste on the three campuses, improving signage and access to proper waste and composting resources, engaging with the student body through events, workshops, and more.

In their free time, Ash loves nerding out over video games, movies, and comics with their friends, roller skating around the Bay, and working on art projects. 

Finola is a software engineer at the Sustainability Discovery Hub. During her year here, she has assisted in making software and minor hardware updates to SIM Mateo and Electra House. You may also see her in some content on our social media.

She became a student assistant because she wanted to learn how to bring awareness of the SMCCCD sustainable initiatives to the student body on campus.

In her free time, she likes to do food crawls, cook, and do digital art. You will see her at events or working on the exhibits at the hub. 

As a Marketing Student Assistant, Matheus films and edits videos of our events, posts and interacts with followers on social media platforms, and attempt to raise more awareness about our activities!

He has always been interested in public policy and community engagement as well as alternative sources of energy. Working at Susty has given him a lot of experience and understanding about the two and he hopes to cultivate that understanding in his future.

In his free time, he likes to make music, edit videos, and draw!

Growing up, Jimmy was always passionate about environmental and sustainability issues. As a kid, he watched Captain Planet and would constantly nag at his classmates to recycle. That early passion carried into adulthood, where he became active in community organizing and volunteered with groups such as The San Francisco Transit Riders.

When he's not working to save the planet, Jimmy studies animation at Cañada College, with the goal of launching a career in the motion design industry.