Jack Ortega Email & Phone Number

The best jobs are the ones that let you work in the outdoors. This has always been a guiding principle in the career path I have taken. Studying Forestry & Natural Resources at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo established strong foundational knowledge and taught me new skills on how to conduct impactful work in a natural environment. Then working under the mentorship of Green Diamond Resource Co. I fine-tuned skills I had learned in school through real-world experience such as forest management, data collection & analysis, and environmental protection implementation. Working at Green Diamond for two summer seasons allowed me to develop an understanding of how to sustainably care for and produce natural resources. In my final year of university, I reevaluated what direction I wanted my career path to take. My curiosity for the world and desire to give back to people led me to apply for the Peace Corps. I was surprised when my application was accepted to serve in the Agricultural sector as a Food Security volunteer rather than in the environmental sector. I accepted this challenge of learning about natural resource cultivation outside of my technical field. I am thrilled to say since starting my 2-year service in Nepal I have not only learned but also taught host country farmers about mushrooms, fruit trees, and ginger & turmeric cultivation as well as beekeeping. At this time I have worked closely with 38 farmers across 6 different villages in these subjects. I have worked on numerous side projects that aim to empower other community members such as a school English club, business literacy, nutrition education, and health campaigns. More importantly, I have learned how to collaborate with individuals of a different culture and language. Developing relationships with community members has taught me that no project is impossible if you have the right team. I am the Peace Corps volunteer representative on the Project Advisory Committee, which works with community stakeholders to improve the Peace Corps project framework. Upon the competition of my service, I intend to venture down a career path that serves communities through natural resource management.

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  California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

  Forestry And Natural Resources