Hi, I’m Machin, a high school STEM and Environmental Science teacher from the landlocked Front Range of Colorado — a place where the horizon stretches wide, but the ocean feels a world away. For 16 years, I’ve helped my students explore everything from the mysteries of space to the intricate systems of our planet.

Even though most of them have never seen the ocean or the stars from anywhere beyond our small city, they dream big. Together, we imagine what it might feel like to see Earth from above — that “overview effect” astronauts describe, when they realize how fragile and interconnected our world truly is. That same awe is what I want to bring home from Patagonia.

This March, I’ve been invited to join Mission Patagonia as a Nature Guardian, working alongside scientists, conservationists, and educators to study one of the most extraordinary and fragile ecosystems on the planet. I’ll carry with me our school mascot — a small stuffed Grizzly bear — and a few student-made trinkets as symbols of the curious minds I represent. Every step I take in Patagonia will be for them — for the students who have never left Colorado, but who deserve to see the world through science, wonder, and care.

When I return, I’ll share my experiences through interactive blogs, classroom lessons, and student-led projects. My goal is to help my students connect global science to their own lives — to see that protecting our planet starts with understanding it.

Over my career, I’ve been honored to serve as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow, a SEEC Crew member at Johnson Space Center, and a Teacher Innovator Institute alumnus at the Smithsonian. These opportunities have shaped how I teach — but Mission Patagonia is different. It’s not just professional growth; it’s personal. It’s about bringing the world to students who might never otherwise see it.

How You Can Help

I’m raising $5,000 by March 1st to help cover:

Your donation doesn’t just help fund a teacher’s travel — it helps spark wonder and stewardship in hundreds of young minds.

How You’ll Be Part of This Adventure

I’ll be sharing updates, reflections, and photos from the field so you can follow along with me and my classroom in real time. Supporters will also be recognized on my Mission Patagonia bio page, and my students will track this journey from Colorado — their Grizzly bear mascot cheering me on from my pack.

Every gift, big or small, makes a difference. Together, we can show my students that science isn’t just something in a textbook — it’s out there, alive, waiting to be explored.

Thank you for helping me bring the spirit of Patagonia — and the lessons it holds — back home to Colorado.

Let’s inspire the next generation of explorers and guardians of our planet, together.