For the last two years of his academic career in Humboldt County, as a student member of the INRSEP (Indian Natural Resources, Science and Engineering Program + Diversity in STEM (INRSEP+) at Cal Poly) and an indigenous person of the Americas and beyond, Aerin embodies the INRSEP+ house mission– to braid ancestors' wisdom with modern Western science techniques and cutting-edge technologies to produce well-balanced leaders and professionals poised to be stewards of our world's resources. Aerin is mindfully nurturing his calling of stewarding the landscapes he inhabits through his daily activities as a student, parent, grassroots holistic farmer, and entrepreneurial nonprofit developer. Aerin is the Co-Founder and Co-director alongside his wife, Dr. Susanne Sarley, of a local nonprofit called Pathways of Purpose: https://www.pathwaysofpurpose.org Pathways of Purpose (POP) seeks to empower youth and the community to dream big for their lives and the world by providing asset-based, STEAM educational and vocational programs. POP will address the growing risks of climate change and social and economic inequities with movement building towards sustainable systems. Our programs foster equity, opportunity, accessibility, safety, and sovereignty for underserved communities.