Leader Bios: Meet our Maine Coast College Essay & Maine Coast Photo Leaders!

Check out our next batch of summer staff biographies. Please read on to learn about our outstanding Maine Coast College Essay & Maine Coast Photo leaders!


Leader Name: Jack Duggan (he/him/his)

2021 Trips: Maine Coast Photography & New England Support/Office Intern

Hometown: Weston, CT

School: Colby College, Class of 2022

Major: Environmental Policy & Economics

Certifications: Wilderness First Aid, Lifeguard & CPR 

Favorite Outdoor Activities: Kayaking, fishing, and skiing

Highlights of 2020: Jack visited his sister in Colorado and skied out west for the first time!

Where you can find Jack when he isn’t reeling in bass or learning about supply and demand: Jack loves doing crosswords (specifically the Monday-Wednesday difficulty levels), listening to music, and hanging out with his friends.

You’ll also be curious to learn: Jack spent a week on an expedition from Churchill, Canada up to the Arctic Circle to find polar bears! And in case that wasn’t cool enough, he also plays the piano, guitar, violin, and banjo – and he’s part of an a capella group at Colby.


Leader Name: Hannah Straughn (she/her/hers)

2021 Trips: Maine Coast Photography & New England Support/Office Intern

Hometown: Birmingham, AL

School: Washington and Lee University, Class of 2023

Major: Accounting

Certifications: Wilderness First Aid & CPR

Favorite Outdoor Activities: Hiking, biking, paddleboarding, inner tubing

Highlights of 2020: Hannah and her mom took a trip to a wellness resort in Austin, Texas which included honey-tasting and an aerial yoga class!

Where you can find Hannah when she’s not SUPing or practicing her Warrior poses: Hannah is probably cooking an elaborate meal, baking banana bread, or making her famous protein balls!

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.


Leader Name: Sage Watterson (she/her/hers)

2021 Trip: Maine Coast College Essay

Hometown: Yarmouth, Maine

School: University of Richmond, Class of 2022

Major: Journalism; Minor: Physics and Creative Writing

Certifications: Wilderness First Responder, Lifeguard & CPR

Favorite Outdoor Activities: Lobstering, frisbee, biking, and swimming 

Highlights of 2020: Sage took a Fall trip to Acadia National Park 

Where you can find Sage when she is not studying or hanging out outside: She enjoys knitting, reading Stephen King, writing poetry, hanging out by the water with friends, and watching her favorite New England sports teams. 

More awesome facts about Sage: She has worked as a Richmond Campus Ambassador for L.L. Bean for two years. She spent two semesters in a community based-learning class about social justice and volunteered at a local juvenile correction facility every week and still keeps in touch with her partner there. Sage’s family also has a two-year-old, “epically adorable” Duck Tolling Retriever named Maple. Last but certainly not least, Sage is a five year Apogee alumna and, as a student, participated in our Cape Cod & the Islands, Vermont to Montreal, Pacific Coast, America Coast to Coast, and Maine Coast College Essay trips!


Leader Name: Charlie Ewell

2021 Trip: Maine Coast College Essay

Hometown: Los Angeles, California

School: University of Chicago, Class of 2023

Major: Environmental Studies & East Asian Studies 

Certifications: Wilderness First Aid, Lifeguard & CPR

Favorite Outdoor Activities: Backpacking and surfing

Highlights of 2020: Charlie road tripped from Los Angeles to Texas through Utah and Colorado 

Where you can find Charlie when he’s not on a road trip or on trail: He is a self-identified music buff and loves playing drums in his spare time! 

Wild facts about Charlie: He is proficient in both Chinese and Japanese. He once went on a solo grant project program to Mongolia to study Mongolian music, and he’s also spent a summer traversing the Wind River Range! Finally, Charlie participated on three Apogee trips as a student: Northwest Explorer, Alps Explorer, and Scottish Highlands.