Atieno Ouma

Atieno Ouma is originally from Kenya and grew up in the land of the Wampanoag, Nipmac and Mass-adchu-es-et people. She attended the University of New Mexico for Speech and Hearing Sciences and decided to stay after falling in love with enchiladas and the Sandia Mountains. In her professional career, Atieno has worked as a wilderness ranger, wildland firefighter, CultureHouse team member, school specialist for Outward Bound, and an environmental educator. Away from her job, Atieno organized events for her state’s Outdoor Afro chapter. She is an American Nextgen Trail Leader, Youth Advisory Council Member, and a recipient of the Knolls Farm Better People Fellowship. From playing outside with her siblings and cousins at a young age, Atieno has always had a passion for the outdoors. Her move to the Southwest deepened her connection to the outdoors through a newfound passion in backpacking. As she developed new friendships Atieno also improved her Spanish to compliment her English and Luo, the language of her parents and ancestors. The Southwest also provided her an opportunity to learn about native traditions and inspired her to look for ways to make the outdoors a more inclusive and equitable place to find peace, solitude, and healing. She is committed to raising awareness around issues of social justice and is eager to learn from others. She believes that nature can be our greatest teacher and increased accessibility and inclusivity can create deeper, positive, and lasting impacts for so many people. When she’s not outside Atieno loves watching movies, eating cheeseburgers, cooking and spending time with family and friends. Atieno looks forward to showing students the beauty of the Southwest and plunging deeper into social issues.