Mariana Cervantes

Environmental Education Coordinator                                                                   . MES Program, The Evergreen State College

Mariana Cervantes is originally from the southern border in West Texas where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Texas at El Paso. Her interest in the natural world originated at an early age as the result of her many family trips around the deserts of west Texas, southern New Mexico, and across the border in Mexico. During her undergraduate degree, she volunteered as an environmental advocate, equine-assisted therapy assistant, and restoration volunteer. 

Mariana’s path to becoming an Environmental Educator was not a linear one as she intended on pursuing a career as a children’s therapist. After completing her undergraduate degree, she became a Behavioral Technician where she worked with children with autism during the pandemic in 2020. This led Mariana to pursue spending an increasing amount of time outdoors with her clients. She began to witness the impacts this had on their mental health which led her to becoming an Outdoor Educator in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Throughout these experiences, Mariana developed a passion for environmental science, botany, and traditional ecological knowledge which inspired her to move to Washington to pursue the Master of Environmental Studies (MES) at the Evergreen State College and continue her work in environmental education with SPP.

Outside of work, you’ll find Mariana hiking with her dog, reading, foraging sustainably, making herbal teas, or baking.