Tori (Yurok Tribe)

B.S. Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, UC Davis

Tori is worth investing in – college has really inspired Tori’s growth, both as a student and a Native woman, giving her space to form her own worldview including her cultural and spiritual perspectives. She’s committed to learning both Yurok and Karuk languages, as she believes “language revitalization and reclamation create a way to overcome erasure and genocide, as language is a pillar of being human.”

Currently a junior, she is preparing herself to tackle plastic waste, which she finds troubling. Tori grew up in a remote area in Eureka, California and was always connected to nature and the land, which fostered her passion for studying how living organisms and systems interact with and are changed by surrounding environments. Tori believes “the problem is the solution” and plans to use her education to develop a pathway to zero waste and lobbying for policy for healthier people and land.