My name is Ashley LeDesma. I was born in Los Angeles and was raised in San Diego. I grew up in a zoo. We always had pets, currently we have fifteen animals; parrots, fish, turtles, cats, dogs, lizards, and a baby squirrel. I am the oldest of six, I have triplet sisters and two younger brothers. From a young age I was taught to be responsible, thoughtful and to share. Independent and headstrong I generally carve my own path. When I was fifteen I decided I wanted to study a combination of history and biology. Anthropology was a perfect match. At nineteen I earned my BA with honors from UC Berkeley in Anthropology, and minored in global poverty. After university I moved to New York City where I worked for the New York Restoration Project, a nonprofit dedicated to maintaining local community gardens and parks. While I was there I had the opportunity to study at the Art Student League. In the last two years I’ve traveled from Maine to San Diego and back again. During this time I fell in love with the diverse geography and natural environment of the U.S. I believe that the national park system is the best thing that this country has ever done. I joined the SCA in order to become part of a community dedicated to conserving those incredible natural spaces.
