Meet the StopWaste Schools Educator Team
This school year, the StopWaste Schools Team is thrilled to welcome back and introduce our newest 4Rs educators and facilitators. These garbologists turned action heroes are here to support teachers and youth to take action across Alameda County! Read on to learn about the amazing experiences and passions of our newest team members.
Meet Garbologist Ellie!
Schools Outreach Educator
Ellie Vendegna (she/her) grew up in San Luis Obispo and she has had a passion for waste reduction ever since she went on a transfer station field trip in the third grade. She further pursued her environmental passions and earned her BA in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Conservation Science and Policy from UC Santa Cruz. Prior to StopWaste, she was a Climate Corps fellow with Alameda County Sustainability Office and worked as a Green Office Associate at the UCSC Sustainability Office. Throughout her professional experiences, she has loved educating people about the 4 R’s and can’t wait to work with Bay Area youth. She enjoys yoga, hiking, and cooking plant-based meals.
Fun Fact: When Ellie was a kid, she would make shirts with her own recycling slogans and drawings. She is thinking about starting that back up again.
Meet Garbologist Kara!
Schools Outreach Educator
Kara Sun (she/her) grew up in Bay Area on the Peninsula, frequently crossing the Bay to visit family in Oakland and San Leandro. Kara received a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Carleton College, and has also received a Master Environmental Educator Certification through the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education. Kara is passionate about increasing accessibility to the outdoors, driving sustainable food system change, and working towards waste reduction through a lens of environmental justice. Kara brings years of experience teaching environmental education to diverse student groups, as well as an agricultural background working on farms around the U.S. and abroad. She is thrilled to return to CA and join the StopWaste schools team! In her free time, Kara enjoys hiking and climbing outdoors, growing food, hosting game nights, and dabbling in various art projects.
Fun Fact: Kara loves to learn new skills and has recently started roller blading! She also has aspirations to learn how to throw ceramics on the wheel, and to surf.
Meet Garbologist Nina!
Schools Outreach Educator
Nina Salvador Barroll (she/her) grew up in the East Bay Area and has a deep love for our region. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from UC Santa Barbara. She brings several years’ worth of experience in the recycling industry, including a Climate Corps fellowship with Alameda County Sustainability in 2014, and a stint as a public outreach person for Tri-CED Community Recycling. Nina has also worked in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping utilities in the private and public sector. Nina is excited to continue environmental education work with StopWaste and looks forward to seeing more student art projects. She enjoys gardening and photography, and lives in Hayward with her husband and two cats.
Fun Fact: Nina enjoys games and helped produce a card game called Hungry Hungry Hipsters where players compete to eat.
Meet Garbologist Zoe!
Schools Outreach Educator
Zoe Stadler (she/they) went to elementary school in San Mateo, where she began her garbologist action hero career by writing a letter of concern to her principal about the use of single-use plastic combs on school picture day. She is so excited to be able to support kids in turn with their own challenging and important questions about waste, climate, and the environment. Zoe was introduced to environmental work as an adult after a study abroad program in Thailand where she got to learn with indigenous farming and fishing communities. She has since spent multiple years working in agriculture and outdoor education - a highlight was running a small educational farm for a summer camp in Sonoma County. A lifelong performing artist, she studied Theater Arts with a concentration in Educational Theater at Western Washington University and loves to incorporate improv games and music into her education work. Zoe is deeply curious about the role of community in turning environmental concern into collective action. In their free time, you can find them playing guitar, ambling in the woods, or cooking dinner with their friends.
Fun Fact: Zoe loves to grow chard and knows the best way to cook it! She might tell you if you ask :).