Professional Philosophy
As an adventure sports and Mountain Leader Course instructor, I aim to help learners uncover their resilience, find courage in weaknesses, and seek opportunities in new environments. I believe that adventure sports are a vehicle for mental and physical empowerment that athletes will apply to diverse sectors of their lives. My instructional approach emphasizes a trust-centered and social setting to build meaningful connections with participants that exceed the time filled as an instructor; I feel that a sustained communication channel best serves athletes and learners. Sustaining relationships with athletes/learners requires genuine connection, intentional lesson plans, and a sense of valued time to maintain engagement. Bearing witness to heightened confidence through adventure sports is a fruitful and rewarding fulfillment.
Objectives
Professional
I hope to carry my passion for adventure sports and wilderness skills into my career and/or extracurricular activities after college. I feel that the knowledge and relevant experiences I have gained through the Adventure Sports Center will aid me in leadership roles in the outdoors or partaking in crew-based trail work in the future. Moreover, I am confident that the leadership, communication, and time-management skills acquired through instructing and teaching the mountain leader course will aid me in any professional setting. Earning trust in unfamiliar and inherently risky situations is a privilege and something I intend to carry through outdoors and office environments I may encounter in the future.
Personal
My devotion to learning and growing through adventure sports has given me a changed mindset on who I am about the outdoors. Though there was once a sense of accomplishing mountains, simply by checking them off a list, the humbling experiences I have had as both a learner and instructor in the center have made me more prepared, a better listener, and one who prefers the journey to the destination. This adapted mindset has prepared me for more advanced routes, such as navigating the rugged Hubbard Brook Environmental Forest for my White Mountain Guide Trace or solo navigating through Southern Vermont bushwhacks for the New England Hundred Highest. In addition to hiking, my relationship with skiing has drastically shifted from college entry. While I was once a fast or last type of skier, I’ve developed an appreciation for the effort level required by backcountry skiing, and growing more comfortable in that I am still scared of a lot terrain-wise, but can push myself in controlled environments. All of my achievements associated with the center, athletic or otherwise, have prepared me for my career, designing plans for success, and admitting fears and limitations at appropriate times.
Relevant Experience
April 2023 - Present
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Adventure Sports Center, Saint Michael’s College— Coordinator & Teacher
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Spearheaded redesign and implementation of outdoor leadership program focused on risk mitigation and consequence-based decision making in dynamic environments
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Foster experiential learning environments to engage a diversity of learning styles
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May 2022 - Present
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Adventure Sports Center, Saint Michael’s College— Field Instructor
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Instruct multi-day field programs for diverse student population in complex environments assuring client care and safety.
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September 2022 - Present
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Adventure Sports Center, Saint Michael’s College— Logistics Assistant
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Provide front-facing customer service and scaffolding support for collegiate based guide service.
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Construct trip spreadsheets and delegate responsibilities to trip leaders
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Evidence
Credentials
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Outdoor Education
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Wilderness First Responder, May 2022
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AIARE I Course, February 2023
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Collaborative Leadership Conference, August 2023
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Practicum Reflection
View Google Doc here