Let the good times, and the outstanding leaders, keep on rolling! First up we have Reuben Atkatz and Abby Dalzell, our dream-team duo that will be taking their students from southern Vermont to Montréal this summer. And (drum roll) in their second year as Apogee leaders, Dylan Hoos and Emma Perkinson are back and looking forward to their Golden State Adventure!
REUBEN ATKATZ
Reuben Atkatz comes to us this summer from Santa Barbara, California. He was born in Seattle, Washington and lived there until he was ten. In Seattle and Santa Barbara, Reuben grew up surfing, sailing, and skiing, all of which he continues to enjoy today with his parents and older brother. Reuben and his family have taken these passions around the world. They’ve sailed the open waters of the French Polynesian Islands, Indonesia, Thailand, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia! Reuben has taken his passion for sailing and combined it with his love for working with kids; he spent a summer at a recreation summer camp, teaching kids how to sail and inspiring in them the same love that he has for being out on the water. Reuben has worked with students in other capacities, too; he has been involved with the Boys and Girls Club in Santa Barbara and has been a tutor for Hispanic elementary school students, teaching English as a second language. Reuben is a 2014 graduate of Bucknell University where he studied Management, and is also a talented musician. He has been playing the drums and the piano since the age of ten, and has been in multiple rock bands and a cappella groups over the years. Reuben is excited to get to know his students and share his passions with them on our Vermont to Montréal trip this summer!
ABBY DALZELL
Abby Dalzell is a rising Junior at Williams College where she is studying chemistry and taking every opportunity to get out into the surrounding Berkshire Mountains. Originally from Newton, Massachusetts, Abby is driven by her passion for the outdoors and working with children of all ages. Abby grew up spending her summers in rural Sweden, Maine, boating, hiking, and playing on the lake with her ten cousins. As one of the oldest cousins, Abby learned early on what it means to be a mentor and role model. By the time she was in high school, she was coaching both tennis and soccer for elementary school kids, teaching skills and fostering a positive and fun environment. At Williams, Abby has continued to follow her passions for the outdoors and working with kids; Abby is a co-founder of the Nordic Ski Club team, and she is currently involved in a program at Berkshire Farm Center, where she spends time with troubled teenage boys. She honed her outdoor and leadership skills as she co-led a backpacking trip for the Williams Outdoor Orientation program for incoming freshmen. Abby is looking forward to connecting with her Apogee students this summer as they make their way from southern Vermont into Canada on our Vermont to Montreal trip this summer!
DYLAN HOOS
An avid hiker, skier, and backpacker, Dylan Hoos is psyched to join Apogee for a second summer – this time on our California Mountains & Coast trip. Dylan grew up in the hills of Virginia, where his love for the outdoors grew through adventurous trips with his older brother. Together they’ve backpacked parts of the Appalachian Trail, through Rocky Mountains National Park, and through the gorgeous Wind River Range in Wyoming. Dylan is a recent graduate from the University of Virginia, where he studied Urban and Environmental Planning, a major which perfectly combines his passion for the outdoors with his interest in architecture. Dylan has worked as a tutor, a camp counselor, and is a seasoned trip leader, having led both for Apogee (on last summer’s Caribbean Service Adventure) and as a wilderness trip leader for a well-established summer camp in the mountains of Colorado. Dylan’s favorite band is Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, so his groups should look forward to listening to some serious classic rock this summer. While Dylan loved his time in Puerto Rico last summer on CSA, he is ready to strap on his backpack and hiking boots as he heads to Yosemite and the High Sierras.
EMMA PERKINSON
Emma Perkinson is a returning Apogee leader and a 2014 graduate of Bates College. Although she is now a Maine resident and calls the quiet coastal Maine town of Blue Hill home, Emma is a Charlottesville, Virginia native and a self-proclaimed “Virginia Girl.” In Emma’s free time, she spends as much time as she can outdoors; she sea-kayaks, sails, and takes regular trips to Acadia National Park and Baxter State Park. At Bates, Emma studied American History, played intramural basketball, was on the Ultimate Frisbee team and worked as a tour guide for the Admissions Department. She also studied abroad for a semester in New Zealand, where she took classes and made plenty of time to hike and explore her majestic surroundings. Back on campus for her Senior year, Emma began the year by getting involved with Bates’ orientation program and led a backpacking trip for incoming freshmen in Baxter State Park. Emma has plenty of experience with kids as well. In addition to spending last summer with Apogee on our New England Mountains & Coast trips, she worked as a camp counselor and lacrosse coach in previous summers, and is excited to spend another summer with her amazing Apogee students on our California Mountains & Coast trip!