Nanci Torres-Poblano is currently pursuing her Master of Science Degree in Sustainability Management and Policy from Cal State Long Beach. Her story begins in Puebla, Mexico where she remembers playing outside with her cousins and learning about agriculture with her grandparents.
At the age of six she migrated to the United States and became a part of a new community in Los Angeles. Her first memory of spending time outdoors in the United States was when she was in community college and took a geology course that led her to visit her first National Park: Death Valley. Here, she became intrigued by the feelings of being outdoors. This exposure encouraged her to take her second geology course which would take her to Mono Lake and the Eastern Sierra Nevada.
After transferring to UC Davis, where she received a B.S. in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning, she continued to pursue opportunities that would take her outdoors. As a result, she became an Environmental Science Educator in the land of the Southern Sierra Miwok People; also known as Yosemite National Park. Working as an educator, Nanci connected students with nature by guiding them through various locations within the park. Due to Nanci’s extensive background in environmental non-profits, she has learned about the importance of public lands and the need to advocate for them.
Most recently, Nanci has joined the Office of Sustainability at CSULB as the Sustainability Specialist and is serving as the co-chair of the Sustainability Committee in the Los Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club. As a member of the NPCA Next Generation Advisory Council, Nanci hopes to continue to use her voice to advocate for public lands so that all people can have the opportunity to connect with them.
In her free time Nanci likes to read, write, hike, ride her bike, and spend time with family.