From Intern, to Fellow, to Project Coordinator: Nizhoni Reflects on Three Years with the Climate Science Alliance

From her first role as an intern in 2022 to her current role as Project Coordinator—and all of the journeys in between—Nizhoni Tallas reflects on her time with the Climate Science Alliance in today's blog.

The Climate Science Alliance has had the immense honor of having Nizhoni Tallas as part of the team since 2022, when she joined as the Climate Resilience Intern as part of the Institute of Tribal Environmental Professionals' Summer Student Internship Program. After completing her Masters in Natural Resources from the University of Arizona, she returned to the Alliance as the Indigenous Stewardship Fellow; it wasn't long before she officially joined the team in a Project Coordinator staff role, thanks to support from the Prebys Foundation. 

While her time on the Alliance team is coming to a close, we look forward to continuing our work as good partners and friends, as she undoubtedly continues in her work in supporting community-led efforts and increasing Native representation. We hope you'll join us in congratulating Nizhoni on her accomplishments and wishing her well in her journeys ahead!

Hear from Nizhoni as she reflects on seven questions about her experiences at the Alliance as an early career professional.

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Share one memorable moment from your time with the Climate Science Alliance.

"A memorable moment at the Alliance was our role in creating a Social Night at the National Tribal Indigenous Climate Conference (NTICC) in Anchorage, AK. It was a beautiful night where our team came together and created a space that welcomed Indigenous and non-Indigenous folks to engage and learn about the rich culture of our Alaskan relatives and to make new connections. Throughout the night folks walked around filled with joy and laughter while they participated in activities throughout the museum.

It was a warm feeling to see people light up when they realized they could send a loved one, friend, etc. a post card to let them know what they have learned from the conference or anything else related to the conference."

Do you have a favorite photo from your time with the Alliance? Why is it your favorite?

"I honestly don’t know if I have a favorite photo from my time at the Climate Science Alliance. We host various events and trainings so it’s hard to choose a photo from one moment. Instead I see a theme of convening; a snapshot of the moments we have gathered people to learn and share knowledge with one another. Like those photos taken from afar showing attendees engaged in a talk or training; taking notes, pictures, and actively participating in an activity. Those are my favorite pictures, because as a team we are so intentional in creating training and events that are relevant to the community and organizations we work with. Photos like these highlight our purpose in bringing people together and supporting communities across southern California."

How has your understanding of climate change grown during your time with the Alliance?

"Before starting as an intern at the Climate Science Alliance, I had a lot of technical knowledge about climate change and not so much on how to support communities facing the impacts of climate change. This shifted as I spent time supporting events and trainings, and meeting with community members, Tribal folks, federal and non-federal personnel. My time at the Alliance expanded my knowledge on how to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change and what we can do now to educate communities and provide a way for them to participate by doing their part to protect the environment. This community engagement included a heavy education focus that incorporated traditional knowledge from the various Tribal communities we work with and the expertise from our advisors who I’ve had the privilege to learn from."

How has your knowledge of career pathways changed during your time with the Alliance?

"It was interesting to have started my journey with the Alliance as a PhD student at the University of Arizona studying Natural Resources and now a graduate with a Masters in science and no longer pursuing a PhD. Experiencing non-profit work has been fruitful in helping me see another career path other than academia. I was able to see the value of supporting Tribal communities directly and working alongside them to create a training, event, or a curriculum that includes their voice and empowers their community. When I saw this first hand it ignited a passion that continues to grow today."

How has your confidence in yourself changed during your time with the Alliance?

"My confidence has grown so much from being a student to an early career professional. It for sure has changed shapes and forms but it uniquely became its own during my time at the Climate Science Alliance. Carrying out a diverse group of projects that involved plant restoration training, meaningful engagement curriculum development, and facilitating events helped me understand the process of project management and working with others. Creating and designing promotional materials helped me hone my skills in using Canva effectively and learning tricks to make designs come to life. Recognizing that these promotional materials will be the first thing future training or events participants will see added a new layer of consciousness design. I approached each design assignment with the thought of how I can make this product welcoming and carry the essence of what the event and training will be. Additionally, leading my own partner meetings and supporting the creation of training agendas with external partners helped me tremendously in overcoming imposter syndrome little by little."

What other growth, change, learning etc have you experienced during your time with the Alliance?

"I have been going through a lot of change during this season and it has been great being part of the Climate Science Alliance while in the process of making big life decisions. Internally transitioning from an intern to a fellow and now finishing my time at the Alliance as a full time project coordinator and apprentice has been a full-circle moment. It has been a journey of learning about project management, relationship-building, and leveraging education to bring awareness to climate change and supporting communities to build their capacities in managing and finding solutions to the impacts of climate change."

If you had to pick one word to describe your time with the Alliance, what would it be?

"It would be relationships; since I started at the Climate Science Alliance this was a value they brought into every project, meeting, convening. As an organization they have always started with a strong foundation in relationship building and made sure those were established before moving forward with any project development. Even as a team we nurture our own relationships with one another and make sure we are mindful of each other's capacities. This is helpful because it provides a positive workspace that I felt supported in and welcomed into."

Special thank you to the Prebys Foundation for their support of this apprenticeship role within the Climate Science Alliance.