Check out the next batch of 2021 Leader Bios, this time featuring the folks leading our Northwest Explorer trips!
Leader Name: Tommy Sheils
2021 Trip: Northwest Explorer
Hometown: Portland, Maine
School: Bates College, Class of 2021
Major: Geology & American Cultural Studies
Certifications: Wilderness First Responder, Lifeguard & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Skiing, sea kayaking, and hiking
Highlights of 2020: Tommy went to the Grand Canyon for the first time!
Where you can find Tommy when he isn’t outside or studying: He enjoys skateboarding and bike riding. He also listens, produces, and performs all kinds of music.
Super cool facts about Tommy: In addition to his US citizenship, Tommy is a Hungarian citizen and is determined to learn Hungarian. He spent a semester in 2019 in New Zealand where he road-tripped, surfed, and skied on the South Island and competed in his first Freeride World Tour freeski qualifier event! Also, while at Bates he operated his own food delivery service!
Leader Name: Emma Norton (she/her/hers) 
2021 Trip: Northwest Explorer
Hometown: Kingston, New Hampshire
School: Middlebury College Class of 2022
Major: Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
Previous Apogee Experience: New England Mountains & Coast ’19 and Maine Coast Junior ’19
Certifications: Wilderness First Responder, Lifeguard & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Hiking, road biking, skiing, and climbing
Highlights of 2020: Emma took a gap year and worked on a sustainable produce farm in New Hampshire, in ski shops in New Hampshire and Colorado, and was able to spend every single weekend outside exploring the White Mountains and the Colorado Rockies!
Where you can find Emma when she’s not in the biology lab or on a backpacking trip: Practicing yoga, baking banana bread, or watching Ghibli movies
Fast awesome facts about Emma: She has hiked the entire Presidential Traverse in the White Mountains, solo, in a day. She hopes to pursue a PhD in population genetics, and is a yoga and spin instructor!
Leader Name: Jonathon Haist (he/him/his) 
2021 Trip: Northwest Explorer
Hometown: Palm Harbor, Florida
School: University of Florida Class of 2019
Major: Architecture
Apogee Experience: Golden State Adventure ’19 and Colorado’s Rocky Mountains ’19
Certifications: Wilderness First Aid, Lifeguard & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Hiking, beach volleyball, and soccer
Highlights of 2020: Camping in the Pisgah National Forest and road tripping through Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, and Glacier National Parks with fellow Apogee leader Ben Campbell.
Where you can find Jonathon when he’s not in the architecture studio or on the volleyball court: Reading Harry Potter or perfecting his log rolling skills
Other amazing notes: Jonathon spent five years at a summer camp in North Carolina, where he worked both in the field as a camp counselor and behind the scenes as an Assistant Director. He also spent a semester abroad in Italy eating lots of pasta and practicing his italiano.
Leader Name: Emmaline Keene (she/her/hers) 
2021 Trip: Northwest Explorer
Hometown: Springfield, New Hampshire
School: Hamilton College, Class of 2020
Major: Psychology & Spanish
Previous Apogee Experience: Costa Rica Mountains & Coast ’19
Certifications: Wilderness First Responder, Lifeguard & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Trail running, whitewater canoeing, nordic skiing and backpacking.
Highlights of 2020: Emmaline worked at a challenging and engaging outdoor semester school.
Where you can find Emmaline when she isn’t in class or in a canoe: Cooking meals, spending time with friends, playing chess, and thrift shopping.
Other reasons we think Emmaline rocks: She once raced 90 miles in a 28-foot wooden canoe. She is really into chess, has lived full time with 30 teenagers for the past year, and, at her birth, set the record for the biggest head at her local hospital!
Leader Name: Connor Chess (he/him/his) 
2021 Trips: Northwest Explorer (& Alaska Mountains & Coast)
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 toured 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: Northwest Explorer (& Alaska Mountains & Coast)
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!