Pictured above (top right): Aidan D., 22, grew up on Sierra College Boulevard in Rocklin, and wildfires have shaped his life for as long as he can remember. In high school, classes were sometimes canceled because of smoke in the air.

Then the Palisades and Eaton Fires hit Los Angeles County in January 2025. Aidan first thought about becoming a volunteer firefighter, but as the damage reached homes, families, and communities across the region, he wanted to do more.

“Our whole lives changed,” he said. “When it’s our community, it affects all of us.”

He enrolled at Sierra College, a few minutes from where he grew up, and switched to firefighting and the fire technology pathway. Returning to his hometown felt like fate, and the change felt natural: his previous biology studies helped him understand fuels and chemical reactions. Last year, he also served as an officer in the school’s First Responders Club. 

For Aidan, helping starts before a fire does. He wants neighbors to prepare, pointing them to CAL FIRE’s guidelines on what a home should look like, including keeping vegetation within safe boundaries, which gives a home a better chance of surviving a fire. He also suggests trading phone numbers with your neighbors. 

From Wildfire Recovery to Resilient Careers in Forestry

“Wildfires come through Placer County too often,” he said. “You never think your home will be next. It’s better to think about it now than when it happens.”

At the same time Aidan started studying firefighting, the Foundation for California Community Colleges (FoundationCCC) was mobilizing its response to the Palisades and Eaton Fires. Its Wildfire and Disaster Relief Fund, launched in 2017, helps colleges when students, faculty, and staff are affected by natural disasters. After the LA fires, FoundationCCC distributed $757,500 in emergency relief starting in the first weeks. On the one-year anniversary, it announced $492,000 in recovery grants to five LA-area colleges and college foundations to help fire-affected students stay enrolled.

FoundationCCC also works to expand California’s forestry and fire-safety sector jobs. With a $21.5 million U.S. Economic Development Administration Good Jobs Challenge grant, FoundationCCC leads California Resilient Careers in Forestry, which recruits, supports, and trains local residents for forestry careers.

Its Forest Resilience Ambassador Fellowship gives students professional development, networking, and real-world experience, from speaking at high schools and conferences to promoting forestry and fire-safety careers. Program partners include CAL FIRE and the California Conservation Corps. Fellows also receive a $2,500 stipend and a letter of recommendation. 

Aidan’s Path as a Student Ambassador Fellow

Aidan learned about the fellowship in his Fire 101 class, and his mentors urged him to apply. He is now in his second year.

Much of the work is simply talking with peers. “Online classes can be isolating,” Aidan said. He has spoken on four panels around the state with the California Community Colleges, including one with the Sierra College president, and at ReadyED 2026, a conference that brings together resilience professionals. Most recently, he spoke as a student panelist alongside the Resilient Careers in Forestry program at the inaugural Resilient California Summit in Sacramento. The three-day gathering welcomed about 1,000 attendees from government, tribes, nonprofits, academia, and industry, and aimed to turn climate science into action and elevate youth, rural, and community voices.

The fellowship has taken Aidan out of the classroom and into the field. He has visited LA County Fire, toured a nursery to learn about resilient plants, and helped teach community members how plants respond to wildfire.

He also joined a ride-along with Sacramento Fire, a preview of the career he’s working toward. His fire technology coursework at Sierra College helped him understand the crew’s work. “I felt really prepared,” he said.

Aidan expects to complete the Fire Academy in Fall 2027 or Spring 2028, with a goal of becoming a fire prevention officer or a firefighter.

Learn more about the Resilient Careers in Forestry student ambassador fellowship program on the FoundationCCC web page.