Board of Directors
Marissa Barbieri
Marissa Barbieri is a highly-sensitive, deeply-listening, patently-ridiculous human trying, in the words of the late/great Grace Lee Boggs, to be more human. She values the question over the answer and big (or even medium!) talk over small. Marissa seeks work that’s aligned with her personal purpose to disrupt, heal from, and reimagine systems of oppression, especially as they impact young people. Her lifelong residence in Vermont affords her a unique perspective on its strengths and challenges, though she also finds home in Detroit, New Orleans, Prince Edward Island, and wherever Jamily is present. A great lover of books, sender of mail, and collector of houseplants, Marissa’s deepest joy comes from regular exposure to live music.
Marissa Barbieri is a highly-sensitive, deeply-listening, patently-ridiculous human trying, in the words of the late/great Grace Lee Boggs, to be more human. She values the question over the answer and big (or even medium!) talk over small. Marissa seeks work that’s aligned with her personal purpose to disrupt, heal from, and reimagine systems of oppression, especially as they impact young people. Her lifelong residence in Vermont affords her a unique perspective on its strengths and challenges, though she also finds home in Detroit, New Orleans, Prince Edward Island, and wherever Jamily is present. A great lover of books, sender of mail, and collector of houseplants, Marissa’s deepest joy comes from regular exposure to live music.
Nat Begej
Nat (they/them) earned a Geography degree from Macalester College (St. Paul, MN) after four years of exploring the ever-elusive question of why things happen in the places they do. In addition to attending two Educator Retreats and staffing the 2016 program in Central Appalachia, Nat was the 2019 Program Director for the Field Academy. Nat has worked as a program and curriculum developer for cooperative business education, a trainer on group dynamics in business practices, and a paraprofessional in the public schools. They live for democratic processes, bring a critical lens to power analysis, and are most proud of their arsenal of cooperative games. Nat lives in Minneapolis, MN with their partner and dog and an ever-changing cast of housemates. They love to learn cheesy pop songs on the guitar, travel by bike, and plan elaborate birthday parties.
Nat (they/them) earned a Geography degree from Macalester College (St. Paul, MN) after four years of exploring the ever-elusive question of why things happen in the places they do. In addition to attending two Educator Retreats and staffing the 2016 program in Central Appalachia, Nat was the 2019 Program Director for the Field Academy. Nat has worked as a program and curriculum developer for cooperative business education, a trainer on group dynamics in business practices, and a paraprofessional in the public schools. They live for democratic processes, bring a critical lens to power analysis, and are most proud of their arsenal of cooperative games. Nat lives in Minneapolis, MN with their partner and dog and an ever-changing cast of housemates. They love to learn cheesy pop songs on the guitar, travel by bike, and plan elaborate birthday parties.
Jen Lazar
Jen was the Program Director and Associate Executive Director of the DREAM Program, and has previously directed adventure trips for high school and college students in New York, Washington, D.C., Vermont, Maine, Alaska, and California. During this time she was also a commissioner for the Burlington, VT, city school board and a research associate at Char Associates, a Vermont based program impact and evaluation firm. She graduated from Williams College and holds an Ed.M. from Harvard University's Graduate School of Education. Jen loves to host brunch, play Capture the Flag, and revel in the outdoors in just about any weather. She hopes to one day master her own recipe for barbecue sauce.
Jen was the Program Director and Associate Executive Director of the DREAM Program, and has previously directed adventure trips for high school and college students in New York, Washington, D.C., Vermont, Maine, Alaska, and California. During this time she was also a commissioner for the Burlington, VT, city school board and a research associate at Char Associates, a Vermont based program impact and evaluation firm. She graduated from Williams College and holds an Ed.M. from Harvard University's Graduate School of Education. Jen loves to host brunch, play Capture the Flag, and revel in the outdoors in just about any weather. She hopes to one day master her own recipe for barbecue sauce.
Hannah Pandya
Hannah (she/her) has been involved with the Field Academy since the summer of 2015 when she was a student on the second New England trip. She also attended the 2018 Jam and interned on the 2019 Midwest trip. She hails from Vermont and is currently a sophomore at Simmons University in Boston. She has a keen interest in culturally responsive education, liberatory education practices and the fight for universal access to quality early childhood education programs. When not in class, she spends much of her time working in a preschool classroom implementing language, literacy and social-emotional curriculum for students who come from under-resourced neighborhoods. She also volunteers in an after-school program for K-6th grade, serves on Simmons student government, raises money for Children's Miracle Network, and is currently taking a Latin dance class (yay bachata!) She loves reading and writing, watching Little Women over and over again, drinking coffee, eating dumplings, baking excessively fancy cookies, creating Pinterest boards for preschool crafts, looking at pictures of cats and trying to figure out Boston’s public transportation system.
Hannah (she/her) has been involved with the Field Academy since the summer of 2015 when she was a student on the second New England trip. She also attended the 2018 Jam and interned on the 2019 Midwest trip. She hails from Vermont and is currently a sophomore at Simmons University in Boston. She has a keen interest in culturally responsive education, liberatory education practices and the fight for universal access to quality early childhood education programs. When not in class, she spends much of her time working in a preschool classroom implementing language, literacy and social-emotional curriculum for students who come from under-resourced neighborhoods. She also volunteers in an after-school program for K-6th grade, serves on Simmons student government, raises money for Children's Miracle Network, and is currently taking a Latin dance class (yay bachata!) She loves reading and writing, watching Little Women over and over again, drinking coffee, eating dumplings, baking excessively fancy cookies, creating Pinterest boards for preschool crafts, looking at pictures of cats and trying to figure out Boston’s public transportation system.
Nita Seciwa-Koons
Born and raised in Zuni, New Mexico. I was apart of the 2016 program as a student and also attended the FA jam. I am attending Northern Arizona University, where I am majoring in History and minoring in Applied Indigenous Studies and Anthropology. I like to learn and teach history, cook good food, learning new things, and creating new opportunities for future generations.
Katherine Quaid
Katherine recently moved back to her hometown in Central Oregon. Prior to moving she worked at 350Vermont as the Assistant Director where she managed the intern program, communications, trainings and workshops, and supported operations and fundraising initiatives. She also has experience in social justice philanthropy and grassroots fundraising. Katherine attended school at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon and has a degree in Sociology and Anthropology with a focus on indigenous movements and education. She is a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla in Oregon. Her passions include dismantling systems of oppression, talking about pop culture phenomenon, and smiling at dogs. This is Katherine's first time serving on a board and she is excited to channel her passion and energy into an organization dedicated to connecting, engaging, empowering, and educating young people in order to inspire life long learning and a more just and healthy world.
Katherine recently moved back to her hometown in Central Oregon. Prior to moving she worked at 350Vermont as the Assistant Director where she managed the intern program, communications, trainings and workshops, and supported operations and fundraising initiatives. She also has experience in social justice philanthropy and grassroots fundraising. Katherine attended school at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon and has a degree in Sociology and Anthropology with a focus on indigenous movements and education. She is a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla in Oregon. Her passions include dismantling systems of oppression, talking about pop culture phenomenon, and smiling at dogs. This is Katherine's first time serving on a board and she is excited to channel her passion and energy into an organization dedicated to connecting, engaging, empowering, and educating young people in order to inspire life long learning and a more just and healthy world.
