Xochitl was born and raised in Oxnard, CA and comes from a family of farmworkers, but ironically was not raised learning about agriculture. While a student at the University of California, San Diego, she studied Environmental Systems with a focus in both Earth Sciences and Ecology, Behavior & Evolution. For her senior thesis she dove deep into solid waste management inspiring her to live more sustainably. After college, she volunteered at Chapala Gardens, an aeroponic rooftop urban farm and then taught English in Vietnam. Her time abroad and past experiences led her back home to venture in growing her own food, sharing it and inspiring others to do the same. 

Prior to joining SEEAG, Xochitl worked with the California Conservation Corps at the Camarillo Center helping young adults gain work experience in the conservation sector. She was a lead developer of the food waste program which consisted of maintaining the CITYPOD composter machine. This led her to be a main contributor in the creation of the on-site garden. Xochitl has worked with SEEAG since 2022, originally as our STEM Program Coordinator, and now as a Senior Educator for all our Ventura County Programming.