Leader Name: Alex Dumont (he/him/his) 
2022 Trip: Alaska Mountains & Coast
Apogee Experience: Pacific Coast ‘21
Hometown: Pennington, New Jersey
School: University of Michigan, Class of 2022
Major: Public Policy
Certifications: Wilderness First Aid, Lifeguard & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Mountain biking tops Alex’s list!
Highlights of 2021: Leading Pacific Coast with Nellie last year! But he also was able to go on a road trip to Colorado last year and spend time exploring the Rockies.
Where you can find Alex when he’s not sending it downhill: Doing research for the State Department on the Icelandic economy, practicing meditation, or racing in triathlons and marathons!
Awesome facts about Alex: He speaks German, this is his sixth summer working as an outdoor adventure guide, and, lastly, Alex is a three-time Apogee alum and went on our Vermont to Montreal, Montana Service Adventure (now defunct), and Europe Coast to Coast trips!
Leader Name: Nellie Simmonds (she/her/hers)
2022 Trip: Alaska Mountains & Coast
Apogee Experience: Pacific Coast ‘21
Hometown: Northfield, Massachusetts
School: Vassar College, Class of 2023
Major: Biology
Certifications: Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Lifeguard, CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Paddle boarding, hiking, and running
2021 Highlight: Leading Pacific Coast last summer came in at number one! But hiking on Mt. Kilimanjaro during her semester abroad in Uganda (at a wildlife conservation!) came in a close second.
Where you can find Nellie when she isn’t on the trail: She loves listening to podcasts of all sorts, but especially science-oriented ones and adding to her art collage journal.
Nellie has numerous great qualities, but here’s a few more: In addition to being conversational in Swahili, Nellie is also an expert traveler and is comfortable hostel-jumping across many countries (most recently in Portugal and Spain). Oh, and she must be good at running because she has captained both Cross Country and Track and Field teams! Hopefully we can all keep up with her on the trails!
Leader Name: Mac Behrhorst (he/him/his)
2022 Trip: Alaska Mountains & Coast
Hometown: Evergreen, Colorado
School: Hamilton College, Class of 2023
Major: Neuroscience
Certifications: Wilderness First Aid (WFA) & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Skiing, biking, fishing, hiking, and paddling
2021 Highlight: Mac completed the Adirondack 90 Mile Canoe Race!
Where you can find Mac when he isn’t sending it down river: Playing lacrosse or strumming guitar to his favorite bluegrass tunes!
If you aren’t convinced yet that Mac is great, here are some more reasons: He volunteers with youth adaptive winter sports athletes, he has summited five of Colorado’s 14’ers, and growing up, his family raised (and still does!) bees, chickens, and goats.
Leader Name: Molly O’Connor (she/her/hers)
2022 Trip: Alaska Mountains & Coast
Hometown: Bethesda, Maryland
School: University of Wisconsin – Madison, Class of 2024
Major: Nursing
Certifications: Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT) & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Backpacking, sea kayaking, running, and hiking
2021 Highlight: Getting her Wilderness EMT certification in Jackson, Wyoming was a pretty top notch experience but then she also got to explore Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas!
Where you can find Molly when she isn’t on the trail: She loves playing guitar, board games, and hanging out with a close group of friends. However, you might also find her with a bow and arrow in hand, since she shot archery throughout her childhood.
Leader Name: Frances Kirk (she/her/hers) 
2022 Roles: New England Support Staff and Maine’s Downeast Explorer Support
Past Apogee Experience: Vermont and Lake Champlain ‘21
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
School: Clemson University, Class of 2022
Major: Political Science
Certifications: Wilderness First Aid, Lifeguard & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Rowing, hiking, and backpacking!
Highlights of 2021: Spending her spring break backpacking in the beautiful Paria Canyon in Utah and Arizona with fellow Apogee Leader Chase Meininger!
Where you can find Frances when she isn’t laying in a hammock or rowing: Writing for her school newspaper, watching movies, and embroidering! Maybe all at the same time?
Fast, Fantastic Frances Facts: First, and maybe most importantly, she knows all (ALL) of the lyrics to the musical, Hamilton! AND is willing to perform one-woman shows. But, also, she has gotten to row on the same river as the one that hosts the world’s biggest regatta, Head of the Charles.
Leader Name: Faerin Dick (she/her/hers)
2022 Role: New England Support Staff
Hometown: Lexington, Virginia
School: University of Vermont, Class of 2023
Major: Animal Science
Certifications: Wilderness First Responder & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Trail running, biking, paddling, and climbing
2021 Highlight: Faerin got to help twin heifers (cows) come into this world! Faerin also got to paddle every single day of last summer, and if that’s not a highlight, we don’t know what is!
Where you can find Faerin when she isn’t running across Vermont: She might be milking cows, baking sourdough bread (and cinnamon rolls!), gardening, skiing, or, an old classic, sleeping.
Fast Faerin Facts: Faerin has calved over two hundred cows and is a self-professed underwater basketball pro.