Yamina (she/they) is Co-Director of the Roger Arliner Young (RAY) Fellowship Program. Inspired by her Puerto Rican heritage, lifelong residence in Newark, NJ and her time as a paraprofessional in both high- and low-income school districts, she strives for equity in education and conservation. They have been interviewed by various podcasts, education publications and newspapers about topics such as urban birding and biodiversity, redefining “the outdoors”, and equitable environmental education.

Before joining the RAY Fellowship team, they worked at Audubon NY delivering education programs to NYC students and engaging various communities across the 5 boroughs. As co-chair of the Birds Fund, they are able to support BIPOC birders in STEM both financially and through networking.

Outside of work Yamina enjoys spending time with her Boston Terriers, birding locally, all things spooky, terrible puns, and consuming vast amounts of pop culture.