Meet Jessica Rivas, ARC’s intern at our Tahoe/Truckee site. Most people call her Jess and she stems from North Hollywood, California. Jess is a junior at UC Merced and a part time Ranger for Yosemite National Park. She says she often feels like she’s living a double life Bruce Wayne style, however as of recently she has been able to connect my line of work to her studies. This has lead to her newly found passion. “I yearn to research the ways wilderness affects the brain. Specifically I’d like to understand what chemicals are released in the brain when people are exposed to wilderness stimulus for copious amounts of time,” she says. Her passion has allowed her to work outdoors with various age groups as well as learn about the brain and its functions in regards to wilderness. “I’ve never been one to predict the future so I can’t say I know where my passions will take me. However, I can say that at this point in my life I am the happiest I’ve ever been and I’m sure whatever it is I decide to do, happiness will be the determining factor.”