These leaders are headed to explore mountains in some far away places, but their love of the outdoors and working with youth definitely feels close to home!
Leader Name: Maeve Dick (she/her/hers)
2022 Trip: Northwest Explorer
Hometown: Lexington, Virginia
School: Oberlin College, Class of 2021
Major: Hispanic Studies & Dance
Previous Apogee Experience: Costa Rica Language & Community and Coast Rica Mountains & Coast ‘21
Certifications: Wilderness First Aid, Lifeguard & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Sunrise hiking, swimming in rivers, sea kayaking, and mountain biking with good views
Highlights from this past year: Maeve has loved going on sunrise hikes with her family and was able to see really awesome stars and planets in the mornings!
Other super fun facts about Maeve: Maeve can hula hoop for over an hour without stopping, she has previously worked as a Guest Artist at the Ballet in her hometown, and some of her many linguistic talents include being fluent in Spanish, conversational in ASL, and she is currently learning Italian!
Leader Name: Gavin Adams (he/him/his)
2022 Trip: Northwest Explorer
Hometown: Evanston, Illinois
School: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Class of 2023
Major: Geography; Minor: Geographic Information Systems and Geographical Computation
Certifications: Wilderness First Responder & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Skiing, hiking, and sailing
Highlights from this past year: Gavin took an awesome kayaking trip up Howe Sound in British Columbia!
Where you can find Gavin when he’s not exploring the wilderness: Gavin loves sailing! He is on his school’s sailing team where they spend most of their time in the English Bay.
Other reasons why Gavin is awesome: Before college, Gavin spent two semesters with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in the Pacific Northwest and Colorado. He also sits on the board for the Canadian Intercollegiate Sailing Association, working to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion within Canadian collegiate sailing.
Leader Name: Connor Chess (he/him/his)
2022 Trip: Pyrenees Mountains & Coast
Hometown: Fairfax, Virginia
School: Washington and Lee University, Class of 2017
Major: Spanish & Politics; Minor: Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Previous Apogee Experience: Costa Rica Language & Community ‘17, Costa Rica Mountains & Coast ‘18, Pyrenees Mountains & Coast ‘19, and Alaska Mountains & Coast and Northwest Explorer ‘21
Certifications: Wilderness First Responder, Lifeguard & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Surfing, skiing and hiking
Highlights of 2022: Connor went to Baja and had beautiful outdoor and cultural adventures!
Where you can find Connor when he isn’t on the skin track: Dancing to Spanish music, spending as much time as possible in the sun, practicing guitar, doing yoga, or re-hashing “Survivor” strategies.
Other impressive notes: Connor loves diving deeper into his passion for language and Spanish-speaking cultures and sharing that with others – he’s spent the last three years teaching Spanish and Directing the Outdoor Club at a boarding school in New Hampshire. He also (casually) ran a marathon in the White Mountains in New Hampshire, parts of it through knee-deep snow!
Leader Name: Clio Gates (she/her/hers) 
2022 Trip: Pyrenees Mountains & Coast
Hometown: Cambridge, Massachusetts
School: Georgetown University, Class of 2022
Major: Justice and Peace Studies; Minors: Environmental Studies & African American Studies
Previous Apogee Experience: Alaska Mountains & Coast and Northwest Explorer ‘21; Clio is also an Apogee alumna of our Pacific Coast trip!
Certifications: Wilderness First Responder, Lifeguard & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Backpacking, skiing, climbing, paddling
Highlights of the past year: Clio touched a sea anemone for the first time!
Where you can find Clio where she’s not snoozing under the stars or studying: She likes baking treats, playing Settlers of Catan, and teaching herself how to crochet and play the ukulele.
Other amazing things about Clio: She participated in a semester-long NOLS backpacking course in India. At Georgetown, she was an outdoor education guide, and she has also met the Dalai Lama!
Leader Name: Kaia Roast (she/her/hers)
2022 Trip: Alps Explorer
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
School: Whitman College, Class of 2022
Major: Sociology
Certifications: Wilderness First Responder, Lifeguard & CPR
Previous Apogee Experience: Maine’s Downeast Explorer ‘21
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Hiking, backpacking, backcountry and cross-country skiing, kayaking, climbing, ultimate frisbee
Highlights of the past year: Kaia went on a skiing road trip through Idaho, Montana, and Washington with her mom!
Where you can find Kaia when she’s not hiking around the West: Tearing it up on her rollerblades, hula hooping, or making homemade pasta! She can also quote the entire Incredibles movie.
Fast Facts about Kaia: Kaia has been playing ultimate frisbee since she was nine years old and has coached the sport for more than six years in Seattle! She’s also been a part of a service group that helps maintain safe trails and create new ones. And last but certainly not least, Kaia has also served as a hiking trip leader and gear rental shop employee through Whitman’s Outdoor Program.
Leader Name: Jonathan Haist (he/him/his) 
2022 Trip: Alps Explorer
Hometown: Safety Harbor, Florida
School: University of Florida Class of 2020; Yale School of the Environment Class of 2024
Major: Bachelor of Design in Architecture; Masters of Environmental Management
Previous Apogee Experience: Golden State Adventure and Colorado’s Rocky Mountains ‘19 and Northwest Explorer ‘21
Certifications: Wilderness First Aid & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Hiking, beach volleyball, and soccer
Where you can find Jonathan when he’s not on the volleyball court: Reading Harry Potter, perfecting his log-rolling skills, hammocking and listening to music, and cooking with friends.
More cool things about Jonathan: Jonathan 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 has been perfecting his baking skills, recently making walnut-maple buns that were wildly successful.
Leader Name: Tommy Sheils
2022 Trip: Alps Explorer
Hometown: Portland, Maine
School: Bates College, Class of 2021
Major: Geology & American Cultural Studies
Previous Apogee Experience: Northwest Explorer ‘21
Certifications: Wilderness First Responder, Lifeguard & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Skiing, sea kayaking, skateboarding
Highlights of 2021: Tommy worked at a ski shop in Alta, Utah!
Where you can find Tommy when he isn’t skiing: Riding his bike, making music, and studying maps and geography!
Super cool facts about Tommy: In addition to his US citizenship, Tommy is a Hungarian citizen and is determined to learn Hungarian. He’s led sea kayaking trips for middle and high school students and has worked as a director of the Bates Outing Club. Also, while at Bates, Tommy operated his own food delivery service: Bobcat Den Delivery!
Leader Name: Hannah Straughn (she/her/hers)
2022 Trip: Alps Explorer
Hometown: Birmingham, AL
School: Washington and Lee University, Class of 2023
Major: Accounting; Minor: Education Policy
Previous Apogee Experience: Maine Coast Photo, Vermont to Lake Champlain & New England Support ‘21
Certifications: Wilderness First Aid & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Biking, hiking, paddleboarding
Highlights of 2022: Hannah spent a month studying abroad in Berlin, where she learned all about German language, culture, and business!
Where you can find Hannah when she’s not exploring the outdoors: Hannah is probably cooking an elaborate meal, followed by a dinner party for all of her friends.
Some more Hannah-awesomeness: Hannah has a passion for community service; she’s volunteered in New Orleans and Cape Town, South Africa, and in high school, she was awarded (from a pool of over 40,000!) a scholarship for her skills on and off the basketball court as a dedicated community service member. On campus, Hannah leads incoming first-year students on backpacking trips as part of a pre-orientation program!