About Me

Nic Navarro

Teen and Young-Adult Mentor

My journey brings up great gratitude within me. I am thankful to have passionate mentors in my life, meaningful opportunities to share my work with others, and have found continued growth through my studies.

As a youth, I traveled extensively, taking in the diversity of human culture, searching for what it meant to be me, finding a world much bigger than I’d imagined. Throughout this exploration I struggled with understanding addiction, with understanding my families dynamic, with understanding my role in the communities I chose to be a part of-for better or worse.

I began to find answers (and more questions) through my studies in Psychology, Philosophy, and Education. By the end of my academic career, I received a B.A from the University of Puget Sound ’16 and M.S.Ed from the University of Miami ’19. The focus of my studies centered around developing a method of teaching youth philosophy to inspire community activism (Youth Philosophical Action Research).

My passion over the last 10 years supporting youth has led me to work with teenage Buddhist monks in Nepal and Christian missionaries in the Philippines. I served with the Peace Corps’ Youth in Development program in Guatemala and guided troubled teens through Wilderness Therapy in Utah. I believe in walking alongside young people, empowering youth to live authentically and cultivate relationships that matter.

Currently, I live with my family and partner on our farm outside of Goleta. In my free time, I’ve hiked +3,500 mi completing the Pacific Crest Trail ’19, Wind River High Route ’20, and the Sierra High Route ’21. I rode my motorcycle cross country in ’16, +11,000 mi from Seattle to New York to San Antonio and finally to Miami. I enjoy whittling, archery, surfing, and reading.