History Grad Kenya Armbrister to Compete for One-way Mars Voyage

SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER -- The 36-year-old Oakland resident said she has traveled to 179 cities in 30 countries since first leaving her hometown of Fresno for Germany at 18 years old. She speaks three languages and has two master's degrees. But until recently, she had never prepared for a dust storm on Mars. “I’m going to miss the Pacific Ocean,” Armbrister said. “There’s no ocean on Mars, or Muir Woods, or hanging out in Dolores Park like I do every weekend.” Armbrister, a graduate of San Francisco State University with a degree in History, attributed her candidacy to her collaborations with diverse groups of people across the world and in the melting pot that is the Bay Area. “There are so many different types of personalities here,” she said. “You see them on BART or the Muni train or at Dolores Park.”