From California to Connecticut, Petersburg to South Texas

From teachers to Navy pilots, geologists, herpetologists, and filmmakers, new staff for the fall season gathered on Spruce Knob represent a broad cross section of experiences and interests.

Lisa grew up and currently lives in Petersburg, WV. Sandwiched in between the now and the then she served a full career as a Navy Pilot, including three tours as a Safety Officer on three aircraft carriers. She flew the E6A which is a Boeing 707. She also ran the Navy Survival School (SEAR) which trained service members in how to survive if they were stranded in hostile territory. Therefore Lisa has extensive experience in wilderness survival, first aid, and navigation. Lisa is finishing up a degree in Adventure Sports Management at Frostburg State University in Maryland.

Michael grew up in Oakland, California and has a degree in Geology and Environmental Studies from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. “But I’m Jewish,” he says. In the last couple years he has led groups on rafting and backpacking expeditions in Jackson, WY, Bozeman, MT, and near Durango, CO. Many of his life decisions have been inspired by his curiosity to experience different places and different cultures. And so he has landed here in West Virginia where he is enjoying the staff and community culture of Experience Learning, and dispelling stereotypes of rural and Appalachian communities.

Beau, originally from Connecticut, comes to us via Mexico where he spent the summer as lead herpotologist on a research group studying the reptiles and amphibians in an area of the southern Yucatan Peninsula. He has a degree in Zoology from the University of New Hampshire and is putting the finishing touches on a research paper about Prairie Warbler clutch survival and habitat near Dover, NH. He is excited to put his scientific background to use teaching in an outdoor environment.

Arlee studied Spanish at the University of North Carolina, not far from where she grew up in Chapel Hill, NC. She has been teaching since college when she worked at an after-school program and comes to us directly from working at an outdoor education center in Southern California. She loves backpacking, hiking, climbing, trail running, and caving, is excited to be a bit closer to home, and was attracted to come to Experience Learning because of the “values and pillars this program is built around.”

Viana grew up in Southeast Texas and studied English, History, and Biology at Lamar University. She has spent the last several years teaching English as a Second Language in Korea and Japan and climbing and backpacking in Hong Kong. She loves teaching and is excited to try applying her experience in a non-traditional, beyond-the-classroom setting.

Ken is a world-traveling adventure filmmaker/photographer from New York who, upon returning from work in New Zealand, moved to Circleville to work as a climbing guide at NRocks. He is former coach of the Australian Youth Climbing team and loves working with kids of all ages.

Tavon graduated from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO just this past May. He grew up exploring the front range of the Rocky Mountains and ended up focusing his studies on Geophysics, Geology, Physics, and Music performance (cello and piano). He was excited to explore more in the eastern US this year and has been amazed by the enormous biodiversity and ever-present moisture in these West Virginia mountains. He was inspired to come to Experience Learning by our mission and vision; the emphasis on “helping people become people.”

Sam grew up in Prince William County, VA and he just graduated high school in May. Though he is our youngest new staff member, he has put in the most time at Experience Learning as he has attended Mountain Stewards Summer Camps for the past four years. The past two years he has taken part in our Leadership Camp which directly led to his decision to spend part of his gap year as an instructor here on the mountain. He loves conducting stream studies, recently acquired his Wilderness First Responder certification, and is interested in geography and the environment.