Prior research finds lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) individuals offending more than their heterosexual peers, due to differential experiences in social institutions like school and family. There are no qualitative studies of queer pathways into or away from crime, or research on the offending of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. We seek to fill this gap by analyzing life trajectories of LGBTQIA individuals with qualitative interviews. We explore pushes/pulls into/away from criminal behavior and respondents’ relationships with social institutions--including chosen families and political participation--to illuminate sites of intervention in the queer life course.

This applied research project is one attempt to contribute to the building and strengthening of partnerships among those involved with food issues at Humboldt State University and surrounding communities. While we report some information, we also seek to advocate for even more collaboration among local stakeholders.

Makani Bright performing Bob Becker's xylophone solo titled, "Girlfriends Medley" with Aaron Lopez providing piano accompaniment.

Dream Quest (DQ) is a youth center in Willow Creek, CA that provides positive youth development opportunities to the communities of Eastern Humboldt County and Western Trinity County. DQ is currently planning for an expansion into a new purpose built building which will extend DQ’s capacity to positively impact the community. Along with facilities expansion, DQ is planning to expand the capacity of its staff and programming, including the continual improvement of youth outcomes. DQ requested my assistance to collaborate in an effort to uncover knowledge around program evaluation and the experience of families involved with DQ.

Within any county there are economic forces that are constantly at odds with each other, and Humboldt County is no exception. Currently, it has been recognized that the skills in some of Humboldt County’s workforce are struggling to keep up with what is expected by employers. The goal of this project is to assess the needs of these potential employers, demonstrate how employers are coping with the issue, and to explore possible avenues that may improve the relationship between the potential employer’s and employee’s recruitment experience. It is the hope that informing the public of this issue may lend a hand in improving workforce readiness in Humboldt County.

In the Fall 2023 semester, I worked as the stage manager for our show of "The Life of Galileo" by Bertolt Brecht. Being a stage manager requires a lot of organization, attention to detail, communication, collaboration, and paperwork. You are there from the beginning with auditions and concept meetings to the end with strike (clearing the stage of the show). During this process, you are a main point of contact between departments and once the show opens, you are the one leading the shows to ensure they happen the way they are intended to. This show was my first time stage managing. It is a very difficult role to step into, but I had lots of fun and wanted to share my work and learning.

The United States military has a long and well documented history of environmental degradation, contamination, and environmental injustice. Today, the U.S. military has taken steps to attempt control, regulation, and conservation in a growing environmental sector. Current relations between environmentalists and military personnel are still plagued with contention. This has created a stigma on bases about environmentalists and their contributions to military base lives. By reconciling my knowledge of the military and the environment with the tools of an environmental studies major I hope to show ways in which we can improve the relationship with the military and environment.

Rural communities often have a limited number of trained and certified healthcare professionals to serve the local population. Additionally, retaining healthcare professionals becomes an added challenge once recruited into the area. The purpose of this project is to create an inclusive and empowering curriculum in partnership with Del Norte Health Career Pathways, to introduce elementary school students to healthcare careers with the goal of promoting the development of local professionals in underserved communities. Each lesson is designed to promote self-reflection and provide age appropriate life skill tools, including mindfulness activities and a reflective journal.

My poster outlines the work I have put in, as an Environmental Studies capstone student, to create an educational outdoor program that is more inclusive for the Latinx community through the Wildlands Conservancy. I decided to work on this project because as a Mexicana I have struggled with being in enviromental spaces and feeling like I don't belong there. Although this program will be implemented on the local level it will still help to mitigate the problem that is a predominantly white Environmentalist Movement. If through this I am able to empower at least one Latinx student to feel like they belong in the Environmental Movement, then I will consider it a success.

Rapid Response Teams are a resource for hospitals to provide early and emergent interventions to prevent the need for escalation of care. Team members can be called upon by units in the hospital for consultation and assist with assessments. Teams provide a proactive rounding process on patients with high-risk diagnoses to follow along with the bedside nurse to provide an interdisciplinary approach to a complex patient. Rural hospitals are challenged with retaining highly experienced nurses, these teams provide insight and mentorship to newer nurses.