Major: Outdoor Education
Graduation Year: 2015
Enrolling in the UNH Outdoor Education Program is one of the best decisions I have made in my life’s meandering journey. Although the outdoors has always been a part of me, it wasn’t until my early-twenties that I found my calling. I joyfully explored working in wilderness therapy, whitewater rafting, and challenge course facilitation. Having these experiences under my belt, I knew how to better answer the infamous question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” The next step was finding a program that complemented my employment history.
The Outdoor Education Program at UNH offered me more than a simple degree. Through the power of learning by doing, OE provided the supportive environment for me to step outside my comfort zone and take on new challenges each semester. I was empowered during adventures I may not have taken on my own, ranging from a week long winter excursion to riding horseback through Prescott National Forest. I learned the necessary leadership and technical skills required to participate in each course and discovered the true meaning of experiential education.
Currently, I am employed by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department as the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Program Coordinator. The BOW program aims to empower women in the outdoors by teaching outdoor technical skills in a supportive, non-competitive environment. Because of my experience at UNH, I stepped into this role two weeks after graduation with confidence and hit the ground running. I have embraced the opportunity to reach women of all ages and give them the skills to be self-reliant while recreating outside.
