Why I'm here…
Ryan Geller returned to school to study journalism after working as an electrician for 10 years to support his interest in environmental and social justice projects. He studied at Contra Costa Community College and transferred to UC Berkeley where he enrolled in a multimedia course for the 2019 summer session. Ryan’s activism has centered around developing sustainable urban food systems and protecting water flows in rivers and streams in Northern California. In 2012 Ryan participated in an occupation of a portion of agricultural land known as the Gill Tract. Activists camped on the parcel and worked with the local community planting vegetables and fruit. The UC Regents, who claim ownership of the Gill Tract, threatened to remove the activists by force but through community support and negotiation the farm is thriving today as a collectively managed project. It was during this action that Ryan developed an interest in media. He saw how subtle differences in news reporting deeply affected public perception of community actions and social movements. Ryan hopes to improve his media skills to tell impactful stories of direct action and social change. On weekends you can often find him at the UC Gill Tract Community Farm weeding or trapping gophers and slugs.
