During the first nine months of the pandemic, Kael was working as a Medical Assistant at OHSU Richmond Clinic -- a federally qualified health center that provides services to Portland residents regardless of their ability to pay, insurance, income, background and preferred language.
During the pandemic, as someone who is immunocompromised, he has been able to continue working from home to serve his patients with care and compassion. He is an outdoor enthusiast who loves documenting his travels through his photography. He first fell in love with photography in high school and ever since, he always has a camera with him.
The work that the Portland Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines does is very near and dear to Kael’s heart because they work hard to organize to raise awareness about the connection that the U.S.A. has to the current struggles in the Philippines.
Unlikely Hikers is an outdoor community that is also near and dear to Kael. They are a diverse community of anti-racist and body-liberating outdoor enthusiasts. They discuss the importance of making the outdoor accessible to everyone through representation, conversations that include politics, acknowledgement and conservation of the land and honoring the indigenous folks whose lands we are on. All of these things are crucial when we think about the history of this country and the connection it has to accessing land.
Kael loves to travel to learn about history, culture, art and to connect with people; he says simply that he wants to see as much of the world before he dies.
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