A School in Motion: Welcoming Gaia U’s New Cohort of Regenerative Learners
If you’ve ever watched a school of fish move through water, you’ve witnessed a kind of miracle—hundreds of individual beings, each distinct, yet moving as one. They shift direction without command, guided by a shared sense of flow. No single fish leads; all are attuned, listening, responding to the subtle language of movement and light.
This is how it feels each time a new cohort of Gaia U learners arrives: a living current forming, made up of individuals from around the world, drawn together by a shared instinct—to learn differently, to regenerate the world around them, and to bring a deeper wholeness to their communities.
This year, our incoming students embody the essence of a school in motion. They come from across continents—Belize, Malawi, Jamaica, Syria, China, Palestine, Brazil, South Africa, and the Ghana—each one swimming toward a horizon of change.
Like a coral reef alive with color and purpose, their projects and passions interweave into something vibrant and strong.
Brian Simpson – Jamaica – Dual Bachelors & Masters
From the hospitals of Maryland to the healing traditions of Jamaica, Brian blends science and spirit with remarkable grace. His journey—from Allied Healthcare professional to permaculture practitioner and Yoruba initiate—reflects a devotion to both care and ecology. Through Gaia U, Brian is shaping a vision for youth permaculture programs and eco-social publishing, guided by the same nurturing presence that inspires his children’s book, Ess Gee & The Water Vessels.
Keegan Meade – Montenegro – Bachelors
Keegan is a traveler between worlds—organic farms, retreat centers, and communities built from creativity and collaboration. His work at the intersection of healing, language, and land stewardship reflects the diversity of the ecosystems he helps grow. From founding the Aquarian Renaissance Roundtable to building resilient, off-grid sanctuaries, Keegan swims through the currents of change with joy and conviction.
Nadia Attar – Syria – Masters
From Syria’s farmlands to global networks of regenerative agriculture, Nadia has helped over 700 farmers transition toward ecological resilience. Her leadership through UNDP’s regenerative projects turned barren fields into living systems—and sparked a ripple effect of hope. Through her studies at Gaia U, she continues to deepen her work in eco-social design, cultivating communities that thrive through connection, not extraction.
Saba Zahara – South Africa – Masters
Saba moves through the worlds of art, advocacy, and sustainability like light through water—fluid, radiant, and transformative. With an MBA in Humanitarian Social Entrepreneurship, she brings her creative fire to projects that empower marginalized voices through art and storytelling. From advising on sustainability policy to curating global arts initiatives, Saba’s work embodies regeneration in culture as much as in ecology.
January Watchman Mvula – Malawi – Masters
In southern Malawi, January leads with both vision and practicality. Through SURCOD, the NGO he founded, he has built the Chikwa Ecovillage—a living model of climate resilience and community empowerment. His work demonstrates that regenerative futures aren’t theories; they are villages, gardens, and schools already taking root. At Gaia U, January expands his capacity to scale this model across Malawi, proving what’s possible when leadership flows from the ground up.
Christopher Nesbitt – Belize – Dual Bachelors & Masters
Christopher’s life in Belize has been a masterclass in regeneration. For over 30 years, his Maya Mountain Research Farm has modeled biodiversity-based agriculture that restores the land and the livelihoods it sustains. His approach—“Food Security through Biodiversity”—embodies the ethos of Gaia U. Joining our program, he brings decades of practical wisdom and the humility of someone who knows that every good system, like every good ecosystem, learns and evolves.
Sophya Jone – Brazil – Bachelors
Bridging scientific inquiry and social purpose, Sophya represents the new generation of regenerative thinkers. From neuroscience labs in Brazil to teaching biology with Equalizar, she merges the precision of science with the heart of service. Her dual studies in biology and ecosocial design reflect a growing truth: that the health of our species cannot be separated from the health of our ecosystems.
Angeli Olorunsogo – Ghana – Masters
Angeli’s story is one of divine inspiration turned into earthly practice. Guided by faith and over 39 years of research into holistic wellness, she founded Fat and Flourishing Farmacy, transforming food and farming into pathways of healing. Her work distributing thousands of seedlings to underserved communities across the Pacific Northwest and Ghana reflects her belief that giving is living—and that regeneration begins with care.
Jianying Li – China – Masters
Living near a permaculture eco-farm outside Shanghai, Jianying’s journey is one of remembering connection—to nature, to community, to self. Her path blends relational healing with regenerative practice, rooted in her desire to help others reconnect to the living world. She brings to Gaia U a quiet power: a vision for building resilient communities and a heart for weaving networks that last.
Najma Fares – Egypt – Post-Graduate Diploma
Najma’s story reminds us that regeneration is not only ecological—it is deeply human. Displaced from Gaza by war, she continues her studies in Egypt through a Gaia U scholarship that rekindled her hope. Her focus on sustainable water management in crisis regions transforms hardship into purpose. “Gaia University,” she says, “is a family that uplifts the mind and spirit.” Through her courage, Najma embodies the essence of what it means to move as one—turning adversity into action and pain into possibility.
Each of these learners swims with their own rhythm, their own story, their own song—but together, they form a school of transformation.
At Gaia U, we believe that education should move like water—adaptive, alive, and in service of the whole. Our students remind us that when learning is rooted in life itself, it becomes more than study. It becomes movement.
If you, too, feel that call—to learn differently, to lead with heart, to be part of something living—join the current. The water is moving, and there’s room for you in this school.