I told my mom that I was going to have a new job title by the end of this year that contains the word “Engineer” in it, and she was so happy for me, but also very confused. She thought that my volunteer work as a certified Openlands TreeKeeper® was my full-time job and that my role as a Web Developer and Designer was my way of creatively learning. She thought that I volunteered my tech skills to help non-profits, the underserved, and larger private foundations in my spare time. My mother is not tech savvy and that is the main reason, I avoid talking about my real job. The reason she assumed being a TreeKeeper was my career was because I spoke about my volunteer work so passionately, it seemed like this work is what I prioritize most. In some ways this is true.

I’ve always loved nature and trees. From the time I was three I joined my first Tree Class. We didn’t learn about Tree ID. It was all about going outside with my class and connecting with nature. I could recognize a maple tree by the time Spring arrived. It is the first time I learned to respect a tree; wave hello and goodbye to plants like they were people, too. One of my earliest answers to “What do you want to be when you grow up?” was “a penguin”. My father quickly revised the question to “try something more human” and I quickly replied, “a maple tree”. He then said, “I think you need to pick something that people do” and I made the silliest grin boasting “Miss Maple”. That didn’t go so well, as much as I was very enthusiastic. My parents then told me to say “doctor” if anyone at school asks. I gently quipped, “how about a doctor for pets, like for cats and dogs?”. This was acceptable for them until I came up with something new.

Being in technology, I know the importance of spending time with nature. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I often felt like I couldn’t balance my mood states or anxiety if I didn’t make time for hikes on the weekends. As we grow older, we lose touch with our freedom to spend time with nature. I am constantly online and must force myself to disconnect from social media, from work, from every form of communication that is sent and received digitally. I don’t know how I can exist today without my early introduction to the outdoors.

On October 25th, 2018, I planted trees with Openlands and the company I work for. It was my second year where I work, and it changed me. For the first time, I was talking to colleagues with leadership roles and outside the comforts of the IT team. I think the primary reason I have chosen not to move out of Chicago is because of my dedication leading the Lawndale Little Village community of TreeKeepers.

Each life creates endless ripples.
-Frank Herbert

American science-fiction author Frank Herbert, best known for his 1965 novel Dune and its five sequels, is someone who also wrote short stories and worked as a newspaper journalist, photographer, book reviewer, ecological consultant, and lecturer. History was never my forte, but I have always been drawn to science fiction, documentaries, and stories about people. I bring him up as an example of how we influence each other beyond our time on earth.

We can learn so much from penguins. My affinity for them goes beyond the figurines or the spontaneous answer I enthusiastically gave my parents when I told them what I wanted to be when I grow up. Penguins gift pebbles to their loved ones. These small gestures of kindness show you care and want to connect. I am always inventing new ways to boost people around me who I care about by sending or sharing a little positive gift, something one never expects, a little pebble of joy. These aren’t transactional. I never expect anything in return. It’s something that I need to do in life. I need to practice charity and grace to be who I am. These are not points nor carry any monetary value. Usually, these gifts are experiences I create using my lifelong interests in art, music, and design.

I use an annual personal learning stipend every year in the past 7.5 years, for so many classes that I’m happy to advocate for. This year I used it for partial payment towards a leadership program called the Green Communities Leadership Institute (GCLI): https://www.greencommunitiesleadership.org. This program didn’t fall under categories that qualified under my job description, so instead I creatively applied part of my Personal Learning Benefit from 2023 and 2024 towards the hotel, tuition, food, and airfare cost.

From this program, I learned so much about my leadership style, the value of my contributions, investing my own funds in development programs, and found out that I really love working where I work because I can volunteer time with Openlands including non-profit organizations within their ecosystem. Advocating for trees as a TreeKeeper and leading communities has revealed to me the reason I don’t want to leave Chicago today. It has given me purpose and a sense of belonging. I acknowledge that I am still experiencing, researching, and growing. I have so much to look forward to, for my curiosity, and in the serendipity of pursuing my continual learning journey.