Welcome to Harrison Covert! We are thrilled that he is joining ESLT as our new Education Coordinator/AmeriCorps Member as part of the Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Partnership. Harrison joins us from Colorado where he grew up and attended college.
To help you get to know Harrison better, we asked him a few questions about his background and interests:
Tell us about your roots.
I’m a Colorado native through and through. Both sides of my family call the Denver area home. I’m fortunate to have close relationships with all four of my grandparents. My mom is a Kindergarten teacher and cultivated a love for learning in me. She began reading to me before I was even born! My dad took me to the mountains, where I fell in love with skiing, backpacking, and being on the river. I played baseball through high school. I’m a lefty, so naturally, I pitched and played first base. My friends and I were fantasy baseball geeks obsessed with statistics, trades, and our favorite players. I attended college at CU Boulder, where I graduated with a degree in finance in 2021 and eventually grew out of that fantasy baseball phase.
What brought you to the Eastern Sierra?
If it weren’t for a torn ACL at the end of last ski season, I probably would have gone back for a second winter as an adaptive skiing instructor. After surgery in August ‘22, I spent a lot of time thinking about what kind of work I’d like to do and what is most important to me. I decided I want to work to help protect the places I love and the things I love to do, so I pursued AmeriCorps conservation work. That led me to my new home with ESLT. I haven’t explored the Eastern Sierra yet, but something tells me it’s worth protecting too.
Tell us about your cross-country cycling trips.
I spent the last two summers on “The Journey of Hope” bike ride from the west coast to D.C. to raise money and awareness for disabled communities across the country. It’s a fraternity-wide philanthropy event that celebrated its 35th anniversary this past summer. We met with 30 local organizations that support people with disabilities across our 4,000-mile journey. Some of the most common visits include dancing, karaoke, water balloon fights, and barbecues. The team of two-dozen guys visits the same organizations year in and year out, so a special bond carries over even though new cyclists arrive each summer. We sleep in schools, churches, and rec centers and rely on the generosity of community members who provide the team with dinner. I wouldn’t trade these experiences for anything.
What do you look forward to most about working with ESLT?
I’m looking forward to being a part of a community that values the conservation of land, wildlife, and traditional values. I’m excited to play a central role in organizing community events that will work to connect people to the land and wildlife around us. It will be an honor to represent ESLT in this mission.
What activities do you enjoy outside of work?
Aside from what I’ve shared about my outdoor hobbies, I’ve recently gotten into rock climbing. It is intimate, deeply challenging, and takes you to the most beautiful places on Earth. Not to mention, the people you meet while doing it tend to be pretty incredible. I also love reading nonfiction. My current bookshelf is filled with racial justice, American history, politics, and biographies.
