Meet the Team!

Ben Bence

Director and Managing Member

(He/Him/El)

Ben@outsidetbox.org

https://www.linkedin.com/in/benbence

This Monterey native spent his youth exploring and falling in love with the remarkable nature that this town has to offer. From kayaking in the bay to hiking in the redwoods, he knew his career would be dedicated to providing access and education to these places that he was privileged enough to experience. He founded Outside the Box to do just that in our community. 

Ben is  an award-winning passionate, dedicated, creative and dynamic educator and leader with formal and informal education experience teaching first graders to adults. He brings program development, curriculum design, and leadership training from his work with teens at The Monterey Bay Aquarium. He's served over 2,000 volunteer hours in the Monterey County community. Currently serving as a Parks and Recreation Commissioner for the City of Monterey and on Monterey Bay Aquarium's Volunteer Advisory Council/Accessibility Project. Ben is currently a third grade teacher in Salinas.

Educational Research Specialist

(he/him)

Navid Amarlou is a dedicated UROC Scholar at CSUMB with a passion for advancing knowledge in social psychology. His research explores critical topics such as creativity, morality, and education through the lens of deficit thinking, seeking to uncover how these frameworks impact marginalized groups. With a strong commitment to fostering equity and inclusion, Navid’s ultimate goal is to pursue a PhD and become a professor and researcher who uplifts underrepresented communities through impactful, socially conscious scholarship.

In his role as an Educational Research Specialist at Outside the Box Education, Navid combines his analytical expertise and dedication to meaningful change, contributing to innovative educational practices that inspire growth and learning.

Outreach and Database Coordinator 

(she/her/ella)

Maggie grew up exploring tide pools and has been drawn to the outdoors for as long as she can remember. An avid scuba diver, she understands the importance of hands-on experience in research, citizen science, and public education.

Maggie brings science communication experience, an understanding of statistics, and an affinity for collaboration to Outside the Box. She was the 2020 Paul Walker Ocean Leadership Award Recipient for her involvement in the Monterey marine community and her marine conservation work abroad with ngo Innoceana. Maggie graduated from CSU Monterey Bay, where she studied Marine Science and Statistics.

Bilingual Education Specialist

(she/her/ella)

Roxana Lopez (Roxy for short) is currently finishing up her last year at California State University Monterey Bay as an Liberal Studies major with an emphasis in Literature. She is a bilingual first generation aspiring teacher. She is super loud and outgoing and can get along with one one given the opportunity. One of her passions is to work with students and help them develop a great relationship with education. Roxy has been the opportunity to work with many different types of students for over 5 years. She started tutoring elementary students in highschool, which led to her love of teaching and inspiring students in their educational careers. She then moved to working with special needs students. As well as students who grew up in schools that focused on non traditional educational pathways. She has seen the struggle that students have in a normal classroom environment and believes it can be extremely beneficial to have alternative ways of providing students support in education.

Bilingual Education Specialist

(she/her/ella)

Julia Vazquez Cardenas is a graduate of San Francisco State University, majored in Earth Science with an emphasis in ocean, weather, and climate. She is currently working on getting her teaching credentials and is hoping to apply for a master’s degree in stem education and oceanography. 

She has experience volunteering and working at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where she held leadership in an education program called Young Women in Science. She helped teach middle school girls, speaking to them in Spanish and English, about Monterey Bay’s ecosystem and conservation. This lead to her getting hired at the San Francisco Zoo, where she was to help inspire students within grades K-12 and teach them both about ecosystems and conservation. She hopes it would lead up to getting a chance to working in education departments at aquariums, science museums, and/or national parks.