Meet the StopWaste Educator Team

Arlo Karpelevitch (they/them) was born and raised in Fremont, CA and is excited to be an educator with StopWaste! They graduated from Sonoma State University with a B.A. in Environmental Studies, Geography, and Planning and have since worked in environmental education, affordable housing, and childcare. Their experiences contributed to their love of teaching and belief that young people are exceptional at innovating and improving the world they live in. Nowadays, Arlo lives in Berkeley with their wonderful spouse and chatty cat, Uma. In their free time they enjoy handicrafts of all kinds, especially sewing and embroidery, as well as watching cozy movies, playing board games with friends, and taking long naps whenever possible.

Fun Fact: Arlo speaks fluent Russian and is very happy to teach you a few words! Приятно познакомиться!

Nina Salvador Barroll (she/her) grew up in the East Bay Area and has a deep love for our region. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from UC Santa Barbara. She brings several years’ worth of experience in the recycling industry, including a Climate Corps fellowship with Alameda County Sustainability in 2014, and a stint as a public outreach person for Tri-CED Community Recycling. Nina has also worked in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping utilities in the private and public sector. Nina is excited to continue environmental education work with StopWaste and looks forward to seeing more student art projects. She enjoys gardening and photography, and lives in Hayward with her husband and two cats.

Fun Fact: Nina enjoys games and helped produce a card game called Hungry Hungry Hipsters where players compete to eat.

Yalda Khodadad (she/they) was born in raised in the South Bay and is happy to be back in the area! After heading to UCSB hoping to pursue an English degree, they stumbled upon the Environmental Studies department through GE requirements and ended up receiving a BA in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Geography. After graduation, she pursued additional coursework in Geospatial Technology and spent time abroad in Norway working on an organic farm. Prior to working at StopWaste, Yalda was serving as an AmeriCorps Food Systems Educator fellow in San Mateo County, focusing on environmental education and garden development for elementary schoolers in outdoor settings. She is so excited to continue to pursue her passions so close to home. Yalda is an avid lover of nature and any way to engage with it — some of their favorites are climbing, backpacking, swimming, and a well-stocked picnic.

Fun Fact: Yalda’s favorite California native is the sticky monkeyflower – partly because of its bright orange petals, but mostly because of its name.

Zoe Stadler (she/they) went to elementary school in San Mateo, where she began her garbologist action hero career by writing a letter of concern to her principal about the use of single-use plastic combs on school picture day. She is so excited to be able to support kids in turn with their own challenging and important questions about waste, climate, and the environment. Zoe was introduced to environmental work as an adult after a study abroad program in Thailand where she got to learn with indigenous farming and fishing communities. She has since spent multiple years working in agriculture and outdoor education - a highlight was running a small educational farm for a summer camp in Sonoma County. A lifelong performing artist, she studied Theater Arts with a concentration in Educational Theater at Western Washington University and loves to incorporate improv games and music into her education work. Zoe is deeply curious about the role of community in turning environmental concern into collective action. In their free time, you can find them playing guitar, ambling in the woods, or cooking dinner with their friends.

Fun Fact: Zoe loves to grow chard and knows the best way to cook it! She might tell you if you ask :).