Batch number two of our summer staff biographies is now live! Read on to learn about the awesome leaders who will be leading our Maine’s Downeast Explorer, New England Mountains & Coast, and California Mountains & Coast trips!
Leader Name: Fenton Krupp (he/him/his)
2022 Trips: Maine’s Downeast Explorer, New England Mountains & Coast
Hometown: Bloomsburg, PA
School: St. Olaf College, Class of 2024
Major: Computer Science
Outdoor Experience: Fenton is an outdoor enthusiast with many different outdoor interests – he has worked with swimming programs, is an avid hiker, knows how to windsurf, loves to bike and has even lived on a boat (for a year and a half) and in a tent (for sixty-three days)!
Certifications: Wilderness First Aid, Lifeguard & CPR
Fun Fenton Facts: Fenton took two gap years before starting at St. Olaf, and during this time he (among many other things) volunteered as a youth swim teacher in Grenada. He loves Atlas Obscura and has been to the world’s tallest filing cabinet (which happens to be in Burlington, VT, one of our favorite places!).
What you can find Fenton listening to: Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift, and more Taylor Swift. We fully expect to see Fenton in the top 0.01% of T-Swizzle listeners in his 2022 Spotify Wrapped.
Leader Name: Megan McKeown (she/her/hers)
2022 Trips: Maine’s Downeast Explorer, New England Mountains & Coast
Hometown: Verona, New Jersey
School: University of Vermont, Class of 2019
Major: Environmental Studies
Certifications: Wilderness First Responder, Lifeguard & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Birding, biking, and backpacking. The three B’s!
Highlights of 2021: Gushing over glowing pink glaciers at sunset while backpacking the High Divide.
Why Megan is rad: She has spent the last two years working at an outdoor adventure-based preschool in Washington state. She also has done dung beetle research in Costa Rica!
Megan’s Major Moods: Excited (about exploring New England this summer), pumped (about hanging out with youth outside), and hyped (about doing those two things at the same time)!
Leader Name: Mikey Redington (he/him/his)
2022 Trips: Maine’s Downeast Explorer, California Mountains & Coast
Hometown: Berlin, Massachusetts
School: University of Massachusetts Amherst, Class of 2022
Major: Psychology & Neuroscience
Certifications: Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Wilderness First Aid, Lifeguard & CPR
Previous Apogee Experience: Vermont and Lake Champlain ‘21
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Biking, hiking, skiing, running, but especially playing with his dog.
Highlights of 2022: Over the past year, Mikey got to ski in Jackson Hole and go snowshoeing in Grand Tetons National Park!
Where you can find Mikey when he isn’t playing with his dog: Aside from his Apogee leading experience, Mikey loves working with students and has worked as a health and fitness intern for youth at Special Olympics Massachusetts. He loves attending concerts, shopping at farmers markets, and consuming copious amounts of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
Our Favorite Mikey Fact: He has taste tested all 23 Gatorade flavors and, definitely, lemon lime is the best.
Leader Name: Chase Meininger (she/her/hers)
2022 Trips: Maine’s Downeast Explorer, California Mountains & Coast
Hometown: Bolton, Massachusetts
School: Clemson University, Class of 2022
Major: Marketing
Certifications: Wilderness First Aid, Lifeguard & CPR
Previous Apogee Experience: Maine Coast Junior ‘21, New England Mountains and Coast ‘21
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Running, hiking, and kayaking
Highlights of 2022: Chase went on a 40 mile backpacking trip though Paria Canyon in Arizona with fellow Apogee Leader, Frances Kirk!
Where you can find Chase when she isn’t hanging out outside: Listening to podcasts, baking banana bread (yum!), and organizing movie nights with her roommates.
Other awesome things about Chase: Before leading for Apogee last summer, Chase worked as a camp counselor for 10 to 15 year old boys at a Cub Scout camp. Aside from her Apogee leading experience, she’s also a two-time Apogee alum – she participated on our California Mountains & Coast and Northwest Explorer trips as a student. Chase is also a triplet, but she and her sisters look nothing like one another!
Leader Name: John Evans (he/him/his)
2022 Trips: California Mountains & Coast
Hometown: Waterville, Maine
School: University of Vermont, Class of 2023
Major: Parks, Recreation, and Tourism
Certifications: Wilderness First Aid, Lifeguard & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Skiing and whitewater kayaking (He’s even the Whitewater Kayak Club Leader at UVM!)
Recent Life Highlight: Where most people raft the Grand Canyon, John kayaked the Grand Canyon over the course of 18 days this most recent winter break. He didn’t do it to impress us, but we are impressed anyway!
Fast facts about John: When John’s football career ended with a broken ankle, he spun that into becoming an awesome high school football coach! He also would crush us all in ice hockey, has a dog named Wilson, and he used to be an avid participant in live theater and music!
Leader Name: Katie Koch (she/her/hers)
2022 Trips: California Mountains & Coast
Hometown: Hadley, Massachusetts
School: Middlebury College, Class of 2022
Major: Psychology
Certifications: Wilderness First Responder, Youth Mental Health First Aid, Lifeguard & CPR
Favorite Outdoor Activities: Skiing, hiking, running, picnics, and jumping into bodies of water!
Recent Life Highlight: Katie spent three months in the Bahamas as an expedition leader and student mental wellness teacher at the Island School before returning to Middlebury last fall!
Kool Katie Tidbits: Katie worked as an au pair in Sicily right after high school for half a year before starting at Middlebury. Katie is an avid dancer and is in a student dance troupe at Middlebury – we’re hoping she teaches her students some sweet moves this summer!