Announcing the 2026 Student Ambassadors Cohort
Mount Diablo Trails Alliance (MDTA) is proud to announce the inaugural cohort of our Student Ambassadors Program, providing leadership, community service, and trail access advocacy learning opportunities for tomorrow’s leaders.
2026 Student Ambassadors are:
Brooks Bradburn
Anya Kinkhabwala
Miki Masui
Brayden Peck
Callum Schwab
During a term of six months, the Student Ambassadors will gain valuable experience through: promoting stewardship and access advocacy events, volunteering at Dig Day trail events, and participating in nonprofit and stakeholder-focused meetings to discuss long-term conservation and recreation goals.
“Congratulations to the Student Ambassadors and their peers. The application pool was quite competitive and much larger than anticipated. On behalf of the MDTA Board, welcome ambassadors! We look forward to working on our shared goals of better trails and greater access with these future leaders.”
Michelle Petersen
Board Chair
Mount Diablo Trails Alliance
Meet the 2026 Student Ambassadors
Brooks Bradburn
Bio
I am a senior at Northgate High School, and my favorite subject is Physics. I love riding bikes, cross country running, and ultimate frisbee. I enjoy the trail access that Mount Diablo provides and love getting to spend time up there.
Why do trails matter? What are your goals?
Trails are proof that even the rugged can be beautiful.
My goal is that more people will want to go experience Mount Diablo trails for themselves after listening to the positive experiences I share with them as an ambassador.
Anya Kinkhabwala
Bio
I am a junior at The Athenian School, which sits on the base of Mount Diablo State Park. My favorite subjects are the Sciences. During free time, my friends and I hike the mountain trails on our campus - especially when it's sunny and we need a break from school. I'm originally from a town 35 miles north of New York City and grew up using the trails on Bear Mountain, which overlooks the Hudson River. Since my family moved to Danville in 2020, I've found familiarity with Mount Diablo.
Why do trails matter? What are your goals?
No matter how we may benefit from the state park, it is a piece of our community, and it is everyone’s responsibility to care for it, especially the trails.
As an ambassador, I hope to encourage trail and nature accessibility for everyone and connect the community to the importance of taking care of our public lands.
Miki Masui
Bio
I’m a senior at De Anza High School in the Richmond area. I recently have gotten into hiking and backpacking, and it’s been awesome! I love learning about our native fauna and flora and hope to learn more. My favorite subject is Science and hope to pursue a career related to it.
Why do trails matter? What are your goals?
As an ambassador, my goals are to make trails more accessible and encourage diversity in the outdoors. I hope to be able to promote trails and help maintain them for everyone’s enjoyment.
Brayden Peck
Bio
I am a sophomore at San Ramon Valley High School. I play competitive Mustang soccer. I have been using the Mount Diablo trail system since I was in fourth grade for training, riding, and personal enjoyment. Mount Diablo holds a special place in my heart, and I will continue to use and enjoy for years to come.
Why do trails matter? What are your goals?
Mount Diablo is a place that everyone can enjoy. Without Mount Diablo, I would be a completely different person. It has taught me discipline, positive mindset, and the importance of community service and giving back.
My goals as an ambassador are to open more singletrack trails to bikes across Mount Diablo. I aim to prove that mountain biking is a very important part of positive trail experiences for many park visitors.
Callum Schwab
Bio
I am a sophomore at San Ramon Valley High School. My favorite subject at school is History. I run cross country and have been riding mountain bikes for the past four years. My family and I have been enjoying Mount Diablo trails since we moved to the area, and we love having a beautiful mountain in our backyard.
Why do trails matter? What are your goals?
Trails are the pathway to endless possibilities, where curiosity is met with challenges leading to growth.
As an ambassador, my goals are to inspire more people to explore the Mount Diablo trail system in all forms. I want to show people the importance of trails and how amazing they are.
Origin of the Student Ambassadors Program
At Mount Diablo Trails Alliance, we believe that the trail user community can be a sustainable source of positive impact, especially helping with the implementation of the trail-related goals of the 2016 Road and Trail Management Plan (RTMP) for Mount Diablo State Park.
Over the past two years, Dig Day trail maintenance events quickly emerged as critical to supporting our Shared Stewardship mission focusing on Better Trails | Greater Access for all state park visitors.
At Dig Days, students from local middle and high schools have been a major driving force, sometimes representing nearly half of the volunteer base.
The students’ dedication, teamwork and community service have been inspirational, cultivating the idea for the Student Ambassadors Program to provide students a greater voice and opportunities to learn, contribute and lead.
Better Trails | Greater Access
Mount Diablo Trails Alliance (MDTA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit trails stewardship and access advocacy organization. MDTA is volunteer-led, building a Shared Stewardship model with California State Parks, focusing on Better Trails | Greater Access for all park visitors. Federal Tax ID # 99-4480469.
Since October 2023, MDTA has helped the Shared Stewardship model lead 22 Dig Days, servicing more than 11 miles of trails with the support of nearly 1,000 volunteers logging 5,500 hours.