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Meet the Mentors: Real Stories from Graduate School and Beyond. Meet Dr. Jessica!
- Another Degree
- Nov 1, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 22, 2025
Welcome to the first article in our Meet the Mentors blog series. Because a graduate school degree isn’t just a destination - it’s a journey shaped by questions, pivots, passions, and people - this series features written interviews with members of our mentorship collective who share honest reflections on their educational paths, current work, and insights into grad school and professional life.
We’re honored to launch Meet the Mentors with Dr. Jessica, an Another Degree mentor who is a globally recognized Indigenous scientist, climate justice leader, and best-selling author. A proud Binnizá (Zapotec) and Maya Ch’orti’ scholar, Dr. Jessica is redefining environmentalism by weaving together Indigenous knowledge, ecological science, and advocacy for climate resilience.
For academics seeking to align scholarship with social impact and entrepreneurial innovation, Dr. Jessica offers powerful insights and stands as an accomplished role model of what’s possible - especially for students of color and others who have felt unseen or underserved within traditional academic systems.
Dr. Jessica holds a Ph.D. in Environmental and Forest Sciences and dual Master’s degrees in Marine Affairs and Environmental Science from the University of Washington in Seattle. She is available through Another Degree for one-on-one virtual consulting on graduate program admissions and application development, research and dissertation coaching, and guidance for academic and alt-ac career pathways.
Q1: Did you always know post-graduate studies and your career path were in your future - or did your path unfold differently?
Dr. Jessica: My path unfolded differently. I didn’t grow up imagining myself earning a Ph.D. or becoming a scientist. For a long time, I didn’t even see people who looked like me in those spaces. My journey was shaped by community, ancestry, and curiosity more than by a linear career plan. When I began working with Indigenous communities and saw how our knowledge was often excluded or dismissed, I realized graduate school could be a pathway to reclaim space for Indigenous science and bring our ways of knowing into research, policy, and education.
Q2: What’s something you loved about your graduate school experience?
Dr. Jessica: I loved the mentorship and solidarity I found among other students of color and Indigenous scholars. We supported one another through a system not designed for us, and that sense of kinship grounded my experience. I also loved conducting fieldwork that connected me to my ancestral lands and reaffirmed that science can—and must—be guided by relationships and responsibility.
Q3: What’s one insight or piece of advice you wish you had before starting grad school?
Dr. Jessica: That protecting your well-being and boundaries is just as important as meeting academic milestones. Academia can make you feel like you must overextend yourself to prove you belong. But rest, cultural grounding, and community connection are forms of resistance—they sustain you far longer than overwork ever will.
Q4: What are you working on right now that excites you - whether in research, work, or creative projects?
Dr. Jessica: I’m excited about my upcoming second book, Growing Papaya Trees: Nurturing Indigenous Roots during Climate Displacement, which explores how climate migration and colonialism shape Indigenous resilience. I’m also expanding my nonprofit, Earth Daughters, to deepen our mutual aid and climate justice projects supporting Indigenous women and youth across the Americas.
Q5: What’s an accomplishment you’re proud of that wouldn’t show up on your resume or CV?
Dr. Jessica: Helping my community access clean water and emergency aid during climate disasters. Those quiet acts of service—mutual aid, showing up for elders, helping families rebuild—mean more to me than any award or publication. They remind me that success is measured in relationships, not titles.
Q6: What do you hope mentees take away from working with you?
Dr. Jessica: I hope they feel seen, valued, and empowered to bring their full selves into their work. You don’t have to erase your culture, language, or story to succeed. I want my mentees to know that their lived experiences are sources of knowledge—and that they can transform systems by leading with care, courage, and community.
Q7: What’s a book, podcast, or resource you often recommend to mentees?
Dr. Jessica: I often recommend Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, because it beautifully intertwines Indigenous science and storytelling. I also recommend my own books—Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes through Indigenous Science, a best-selling and award-winning book shaping global policy, academia, and activism, and my forthcoming second book, Growing Papaya Trees: Nurturing Indigenous Roots during Climate Displacement.
Q8: What changes do you hope to see in graduate and professional education over the next decade?
Dr. Jessica: I hope to see a transformation in how we define “expertise.” Graduate education must honor multiple knowledge systems and move beyond Eurocentric frameworks. We need more Indigenous, Black, and community-rooted scholars shaping curricula, policies, and research priorities. Education should cultivate empathy and reciprocity, not competition and extraction.
Q9: What’s your favorite way to relax or recharge?
Dr. Jessica: Beading jewelry is a meditative practice that keeps me connected to my culture and creativity. When I unwind with TV, I love watching documentaries about the natural world or nostalgic shows that make me laugh. Those quiet moments of joy remind me why I do this work: to help protect the beauty and balance that sustain us all.
Is Dr. Jessica the right mentor for your academic or professional journey? Request to book below!
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