Bios for our Alaska Mountains & Coast leaders are live! Read on to learn about what awesome folks will be heading to the Last Frontier this summer.
Leader Name: Mandy Smith (she/her/hers) 
2021 Trip: Alaska Mountains & Coast
Hometown: Rochester, New York
School: University of Vermont, Class of 2020
Major: Elementary Education & French
Certifications: Wilderness First Responder & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Kayaking, backpacking, skiing, posting up in a hammock, and swimming in freezing water
Highlights of 2020: She moved to the Alps in France to teach English for a school year!
Where you can find Mandy when not posted up in a comfy spot or hanging out in the outdoors: Doing yoga, cooking and eating, drinking hot beverages on her porch, and spending time journaling.
We think Mandy is awesome for many reasons, but also for these: Mandy was really into mixed martial arts and has her second degree black belt, she is fluent in French, and when she studied abroad in New Zealand, she lived in a van for a while!
Leader Name: Julian Ramirez (he/him/his)
2021 Trip: Alaska Mountains & Coast
Hometown: Davidson, North Carolina
School: Washington and Lee University, Class of 2021
Major: English and Politics
Previous Apogee Experience: Costa Rica Language & Community ’19
Certifications: Wilderness First Aid, Lifeguard & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Skiing, mountain biking, backpacking
Highlights of 2020: Tarpon fishing in the Florida Keys
Where you can find Julian when he is not hanging out in the backcountry or fishing: Playing the saxophone or listening to bluegrass tunes.
Other amazing impressive notes: Julian prides himself on his vast knowledge of Noah Baumbach movies and is constantly switching between different accents.
Leader Name: Zach Klingner (he/him/his) 
2021 Trip: Alaska Mountains & Coast
Hometown: Fort Collins, Colorado
School: Colorado College, Class of 2022
Major: Organismal Biology & Ecology
Certifications: Wilderness First Responder & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Splitboarding, mountain biking, fly fishing, and backpacking
Highlights of 2020: Zach took an amazing ski trip to Jackson Hole, WY with his dad!
Where you can find Zach when he is not skiing or in the biology lab: He enjoys playing sports of all kinds and can pretty easily always be found throwing a football, frisbee, or rugby ball.
Other things about Zach that make us say, “Woah, cool!”: Zach is passionate about making the outdoors a much more inclusive and accessible space. He was on two different intramural basketball championship teams and also leads a mentoring club where he and his peers work with local middle school students in an after school program.
Leader Name: Meg Manning (she/her/hers) 
2021 Trip: Alaska Mountains & Coast
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
School: Hamilton College, Class of 2021
Major: Geoscience
Previous Apogee Experience: Pacific Coast ‘19
Certifications: Wilderness First Aid, Lifeguard & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Skiing, biking, and backpacking with friends!
Highlights of 2020: Meg went abroad to Patagonia and traveled around for a full semester!
When she isn’t hanging out in the backcountry, you can find Meg: Meg is usually playing ultimate frisbee! She also loves cooking dinner with her friends and/or having a dance party.
Meg is awesome for so many reasons – here are some more reasons why: Meg has been bungee jumping in New Zealand and has been paragliding in Zermatt!
Leader Name: Connor Chess (he/him/his)
2021 Trips: Alaska Mountains & Coast (& Northwest Explorer)
Hometown: Fairfax, Virginia
School: Washington and Lee University, Class of 2017
Major: Spanish & Global Politics; Minor: Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Previous Apogee Experience: Costa Rica Language & Community ’17, Costa Rica Mountains & Coast ’18, and Pyrenees Mountains & Coast ’19
Certifications: Wilderness First Responder, Lifeguard & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Surfing, skiing, hiking, and spending time in the water
Highlights of 2020: Ski touring in the White Mountains
Where you can find Connor when he isn’t on the skin track: Dancing to Spanish music, practicing guitar, doing yoga, or re-hashing “Survivor” strategies with his roommates
Other impressive notes: Connor is one of the most impressive whistlers on the block. He also has rewritten a number of song interpretations, translating from English to Spanish – including Pasa Nada, Está Bien… better known as Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright by Bob Dylan.
Leader Name: Clio Gates (she/her/hers) 
2021 Trip: Alaska Mountains & Coast (& Northwest Explorer)
Hometown: Cambridge, Massachusetts
School: Georgetown University, Class of 2022
Major: Justice and Peace Studies; Minor: Environmental Studies & African American Studies
Certifications: Wilderness First Responder, Lifeguard & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Backpacking, skiing, climbing
Highlights of 2020: Clio spent 76 days sleeping outside in a row!
Where you can find Clio where she’s not snoozing under the stars or studying: She likes baking savory or sweet treats, cooking for her friends, playing Settlers of Catan, and teaching herself how to crochet/play the ukulele.
Other amazing things about Clio: Clio’s an Apogee alumni of our Pacific Coast bike trip! She has met the Dalai Lama, she spent three months WWOOFing in New Zealand, and she is also a triplet!