Mariah!! Welcome to the Team!!
I am so stoked to say we have added a new team member to Kohola!
We are so lucky to add Mariah Gill to our ranks! Here is a little something to help you get to know our newest member!
Mariah J Gill
Community Outreach Liaison
Mariah loves the water. She and her sisters were essentially raised by the Pacific Ocean on the Hawaiian Island of Maui. She grew up surfing, swimming, and diving offshore from Lahaina and was taught very early on to respect and protect the ocean in all its power, beauty and fragility. After graduating from Lahainaluna High School, Mariah attended the University of Southern California where she studied environmental science with a focus on marine conservation. During her four years at USC, Mariah’s marine based research took her to Catalina Island off the coast of California, the Island of Guam, and the Republic of Palau in Micronesia. After graduating with honors and a Bachelor of Science (BS), Mariah moved further from home to attend the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies where she earned her Master’s degree in Environmental Management (MEM) with a concentration on coastal resource management. At Yale, her research took her to the US Virgin Islands, back to the Republic of Palau, and all the way to Bodø, Norway in the Arctic Circle. She also had the opportunity to work with Palau’s first UN Ambassador of the Oceans and Seas, the late Stuart Beck, as a student researcher and campaigner in New York City. At the core of her research was the question, “How do we best manage the many competing interests for coastal and marine resources in our ever-changing world to ensure a clean, bountiful and beautiful future for not only our children, but our great-great-great grandchildren?”
Since moving home to Lahaina, Mariah has worked hard to better her community and continues to seek the answer to that question. She works as an environmental consultant, teaches yoga, and volunteers as a Yale Alumni Ambassador providing students on Maui the opportunity to have face-to-face interviews to support their college applications to Yale University. She also stays busy by organizing community service events and free public yoga classes to clean up and bring peace and positivity back to our public spaces. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors hiking, swimming, surfing and diving.
Mariah will serve as our Community Outreach Liaison and will work to connect our team with local, cultural, and historical mana`o and stories about kohola. She is very excited about using the power of photography and film to inspire respect for the ocean and its inhabitants. She believes that conservation efforts are not successful without grassroots support, respect and innovation. Her skills as a water sportswoman will also be a welcomed addition to the team.