Alayna Schmidt

Alayna Schmidt (she/they) is a queer scholar-artivist in Southern Appalachia making space for the stories, leadership, and knowledge of youth in rural areas with particular emphasis on the voices of youth with gendered, queer, racialized and ethnic experiences. They believe youth are powerful agents shaping their communities into places for collective thriving. She is a Ph.D. student in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management at Clemson University and works as Lab Manager in the Race, Ethnicity, Youth & Social Equity (REYSE) Research Collaboratory. Alayna sees all work related to research, education, and the environment as inherently political. Hence, their research and practice in youth development and environmental education are rooted in justice and applied toward collective liberation.