Staff: Kristina Smelser (they/them)

Kristina is a passionate sibling, friend, organizer, educator, and now youth mentor! They are proud to be queer, nonbinary, and mixed-race Japanese-Hungarian American.

They were raised and went to college in California. For the last three years, they have been planting roots up here in Seattle. They love exploring new forms of movement, writing poetry, gardening, organizing with the mutual aid group ChuMinh Eggrolls, and spending time in the glorious forests and wetlands of the PNW.

Over the years, Kristina has worked with youth as a health educator, outdoor educator, Montessori teacher, bilingual instructional assistant, and more. This work, along with their own mentors, has taught them the healing power of loving, safe, and dependable relationships in young lives. They are thrilled to get to learn from and build these relationships with their mentees.