Tyrese Mitchem

Tyrese Mitchem was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, but spent most of his life in Menifee, California. Tyrese is the youngest of four siblings, having major influences from his older siblings and parents. His love and appreciation for the environment were instilled within him through his upbringing in a family deeply rooted in nature and wildlife. Growing up, his family would often travel to ecologically diverse locations, such as Joshua Tree, Idyllwild, Belize, Cozumel, and more.

Tyrese graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara(‘24) with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and Sociology. While at UCSB, Tyrese served as a safety officer for his club Water Polo Team, an Informal Science Educator at The Research Experience and Education Facility(The REEF), and a program field staff at the Wilderness Youth Project.

Throughout his academic journey, he developed a strong passion for environmental justice and building sustainable communities. A standout achievement during his undergrad was his completion of his Senior thesis which focused on the lack of racial and ethnic diversity within UCSB's Environmental Studies program. This accomplishment in combination with his other internships, grades, and field studies programs earned Tyrese the Environmental Studies 2024 Outstanding Senior Award.

Tyrese is most passionate about diversity and inclusion and strives to create circumstances in which those communities most affected by environmental injustices can thrive. In his free time, Tyrese enjoys swimming, reading manga, and hiking new trails!