Apogee is rooted in humble beginnings – we started with only two trips and a total of 15 students in 2002. Fifteen years later, Apogee’s roots are firmly planted, proudly welcoming nearly 600 students in 2016 and running 43 trips in stunning locations all over the world. While our growth can be contributed to numerous factors, we believe our outstanding trip leaders are the reason our students experience so much personal growth and come back year after year.
This week we’ll begin our hiring season for summer 2017 with a visit to Bates College. As we’re gearing up to dive headfirst into months of recruitment, we decided to reflect upon what has made our leader hiring so successful.
- Between our year-round staff members, we’ll collectively spend 10+ weeks on the road visiting some of the country’s top liberal arts schools. From Bowdoin College in Maine to Davidson College in North Carolina. From Tufts University in Massachusetts to Pomona College in California. At all of these schools and many more, we make great relationships with the career centers, outing clubs, and student groups.
Assistant Director, Hannah Gensheimer, taking a pause in her day of interviews at William & Mary to take a quick selfie with Thomas Jefferson. - We meet each applicant in-person. We know how important it is for our kids to connect with their leaders – so first they must connect with an Apogee Director! In order for us to even consider a candidate, we need to leave the interview saying, “Wow – now that person was incredible!”
Director Chad Olcott spends weeks on the road each year meeting some fantastic applicants. - Apogee’s two directors, Kevin and Chad, play a key role in not only the hiring, but in the training of our staff members. They’re committed to making sure each leader has the tools and support they need to lead a successful group of students.
Chad and Kevin running through the Leader Training Manual with our summer staff. - Our Apogee family often comes full circle as many of our students grow up and apply to be trip leaders. These individuals have been so positively impacted by their experience with Apogee that they want to give back to others in the same way.
Emily Hoffman was a four time Apogee student before becoming a trip leader in 2016. Isa Caliandro, a two time Apogee student, has now led for Apogee for two years. - We give our leaders the same care that they give their students. From the moment a staff member is hired, they join the Apogee family. In the office, we do our best to provide support, guidance, and care to each staffer from the moment they arrive in Brunswick, Maine for training through the end of the summer and beyond. We believe this culture of support translates between the leaders and then to their students.
Our leaders huddled together after a long day of training – building upon a culture of support and care.
While the hiring process is long and vigorous, it’s an incredibly fun and rewarding part of our year. We get to meet fantastic candidates who are inspiring, kind, and engaging. We’re already so excited to recruit and welcome more outstanding staffers to the Apogee family in 2017. Let the recruitment season begin!
To learn more about our staff members or working with Apogee, check out our Lead With Apogee page on our website or email us at staff@apogeeadventures.com.