After 18 years at NorthBay, I’ve had the privilege of meeting countless students whose lives have been transformed by just a few days immersed in nature. When I connected with James Obasiola about eight months ago at an Outdoor Learning Partnership meeting, I realized his story resonated deeply with our mission. His journey, from stepping into the outdoors to stepping into leadership, reminds me why we keep pushing forward at NorthBay, and inspires me to keep doing this work with renewed energy.

When James first arrived at NorthBay as a sixth grader, he was quiet, observant, and a little unsure of what the week would bring. “I remember just breathing in the air, it felt different,” he told me during our conversation. “I had my green winter coat on, and stepping off the bus just felt free. Back home, that wasn’t always the case.”

Growing up in Prince George’s County before moving to Howard County, James didn’t have access to much open space. At NorthBay, everything was new, the woods, the water, the crisp air off the Bay. When his group collected tiny organisms in the stream and learned some could only survive in clean water, something clicked. “That moment stuck with me,” he said. “NorthBay showed me what healthy looks like, not just in nature, but in community. Everyone’s voice mattered.”

I remember watching that same quiet student begin to step forward, helping others on the ropes course, speaking up in discussions, and discovering a confidence that would only grow stronger over time. “Those four days were the beginning of my journey,” he told me.

From Outdoor Learning to Environmental Justice

Today, James is a first-year student at Harvard University, studying environmental science and public policy. Hearing him talk about his path, it’s clear how deeply his experiences at NorthBay shaped the leader he’s becoming.

He described growing up near a waste facility, where the air carried a metallic taste and made it hard to breathe. “Then we moved just a few miles away and suddenly there were trees, clean air, and space to play,” he said. “That’s when I realized a child’s zip code can determine their health.”

James’s goal is to become an environmental justice lawyer, holding corporations accountable and ensuring every community has access to clean air and water. “NorthBay planted the first seeds,” he told me. “That experience made me realize students belong in nature and that our voices matter.”

His passion for service runs deep. Growing up in a Chinese-Nigerian household, James said he was taught that life’s purpose is to do good for others. “It’s not about how high you climb, it’s about bringing others along with you,” he said. I couldn’t help but smile when he explained that his middle name, Ji Yu, means “to bestow hope onto others.” It’s hard to imagine a name that fits him better.

Coming Full Circle

This fall, James will return to where it all began, this time as the Keynote Speaker for NorthBay’s 20th Anniversary Gala. For me, and for our entire team, it’s a full-circle moment.

“Being part of this milestone feels like coming home,” he told me. “NorthBay invested in me when I was just a sixth grader with big questions about why my neighborhood looked so different from others. Now I get to stand on that same stage as living proof of what happens when you give young people transformative experiences and tell them their voices matter.”

Listening to him, I was reminded why we do this work. For James, the Gala isn’t just a celebration of the past, it’s a call to action for the future. “Access to nature and outdoor education shouldn’t depend on a zip code or school budget,” he said. “When you give kids the chance to experience healthy ecosystems firsthand, you’re not just teaching science, you’re showing them what they deserve to protect.”

Today, James continues to live that message, studying policy, playing cello in the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, and working with the Kennedy School of Government. “Both music and environmental work require listening,” he reflected. “Individual excellence means nothing without community harmony.”

As I listened, I realized his story captures what NorthBay has always been about: helping students discover their purpose, their power, and their place in something bigger. Watching James return as a leader feels like seeing the ripple of one small moment reach the farthest shore.