In Loving Memory
 | Luke Balstad (he/him) Luke Balstad is someone who can’t watch a movie without getting up, making popcorn, researching a health article, going on Tik Tok for 15 minutes, and then realizing that the movie is finished and the popcorn is burnt. He is obsessed with coral and genuinely deep conversations. Most of all, though, Luke is a person who places his values exactly where his heart lies. He tries to uphold these principles in all aspects of life. Luke takes the He/Him/His pronouns, is obsessed with the outdoors, and would love to chat over a coffee anytime. |
Board Members
 | Matt Kung (he/him) – President – matthew_kung@college.harvard.edu For several years in his youthful naïveté, Matt toiled laboriously in hopes of acquiring a prized sponsorship from the world’s most influential corporation, Frito Lay North America, Inc. Alas, his pursuit was dismally unrequited. Bedraggled and downtrodden, he eventually conceded defeat and set forth in search of a new passion. He settled upon HOC, where he leads trips into the beautiful chip-less expanse of the great outdoors, free from the shackles of corporate society. Embark on one of his trips to enjoy nature’s magnificence, good company, and – uhhh? – a refreshing bag of Lay’s Kettle-Cooked Potato Chips at the summit? |
 | Talya Li (she/her) – Vice President – talyali@college.harvard.edu Talya has found a home in nature complaining about how ankles don’t work (no seriously they don’t) on the MacLehose Trail, trying–and epically failing–at identifying the constellations on camping trips, and being ruthlessly beaten in pond hockey. When she’s not planning a trip, you can find her psetting in Leverett dhall, showing off her collection of funky socks, singing loudly—and poorly—to Maggie Rogers, and telling a poor stranger the entire rundown of her next outdoor adventure. She greatly looks forward to listening to your story and telling you all about hers on a scenic ~stroll~ somewhere in the Whites. |
 | Olisaneme Okonkwo (he/him) – Diversity and Inclusion Chair Olisaneme grew up in a town called Clarksburg, Maryland. There are very few things he would rather do than be outside. When he’s not fishing, biking, kayaking, or hiking, Olisaneme is running (or eating). His seasoning of choice is Old Bay, quite possibly the best seasoning that has graced the earth (if you haven’t had Old Bay yet just ask, he has a lot of it on hand). Olisaneme loves hiking and camping, especially along waterways, since he was raised near the Chesapeake Bay. However, though he has preferences, there are very few trip ideas that Olisaneme will turn down. He likes new and exciting outdoor experiences that push him out of his comfort zone. He plans to study Bioengineering, though that is still subject to change. |
 | Michael Wallace (he/him) – Treasurer Michael was raised in the untamed forests of Wilton, Connecticut, a place with a large population of retirees and some of Connecticut’s hardest mountain biking trails, two things that go together really well. In September 2018, Michael decided to hike all of the 48 tallest mountains in New Hampshire in a single week. The attempt was a failure, covering only 5 hours and 1 peak before Michael packed up and came back to Harvard. Some say he never intended to hike all 48 peaks at all; some say he is a tragic hero who was crippled by circumstance. Michael says he actually did all 48 when you weren’t looking. When he’s not planning a new trip, Michael enjoys going for long runs, getting cannolis from Mike’s Pastries, and marveling at the wonders of public transport. |
 | Grace Benkelman – Trip Manager – gbenkelman@college.harvard.edu Hailing from ski-bum Montana, Grace loves hiking, rock climbing, Nordic skiing, trail running, and pretending to look at moss in order to catch her breath during said trail runs. Hiking fuel of choice: grapes, feta cheese crumbles, gluten-free pretzels. Her passions include lying on the ground, eating spicy food, typing really fast, and bananas. When she isn’t stomping around outside, Grace can be found procrastinating homework by dreaming of Thanksgiving dinner. She is always excited to show off her cool rock-climbing scar, her favorite color is yellow, and her favorite views are peak views! |
 | Arturo Aguilar (he/him) – Gear Manager – aaaguilar@college.harvard.edu Growing up in the beautiful desert-southwest environment of El Paso, TX, Arturo, unfortunately, did not realize his love for the outdoors until he arrived in the green forests of New England. His passion for the outdoors began after his first visit to the Arnold Arboretum and he now firmly believes it to be the single greatest contribution to society Harvard has ever made. His ideal outdoor activity is taking a hike or nature walk and sharing interesting facts about the surrounding flora and fauna to anyone willing to listen (disclaimer: slightly biased towards the plant side of things). You can usually find Arturo inspecting flowers around campus and sporting one of his many pairs of eccentric socks (his favorite being “mushroom logs”). |
 | Robert Lawrence (he/him) – Gear Manager – robertlawrence@college.harvard.edu Raised upon the perpetual flatlands of Louisiana, what Robert lacked in mountain vistas he made up for with Cajun food and Mardi Gras. A car-camping kid by birth, he became a backpacker convert over his gap year. After traversing the granite peaks of the High Sierra and perfecting his mozzarella-making skills on an organic farm, Robert came to Harvard with a healthy disdain for all things resume-related. Now, readjusted to life with plumbing, he lives in Cabot and is mulling over a concentration in hist & lit. Robert’s preferred procrastination methods include running along the Charles, drinking copious amounts of black coffee, and clicking on targeted ads for backpacking gear. |
 | Avery Gardner – Social Chair The youngest of four outdoorsy siblings, Avery was introduced to hiking at a young age. Through hiking with her siblings, Avery learned some of life’s most important skills, such as how to negotiate a proper candy trade (Reese’s over M&Ms always) and dump out pasta gray water when no one is looking. Avery soon caught the hiking bug and loves it so much that she spends her summers running around the Adirondacks hiking with 12 year olds. When not planning her next trip, Avery can be found photosynthesizing on the Quad lawn, trying not to kill her precious dorm plants, hoarding apples from the dhall, or inventing new slang words. |
 | Emily Schanzer – Social Chair – emilyschanzer@college.harvard.edu Growing up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Emily always enjoyed spending time outside. But since being in college, she has embraced her inner granola girl and loves going on hikes, backpacking, hammocking, camping, biking (especially to and from the quad!!!!!), and sleeping in uncomfortable places. She also LOVES eating/cooking/baking food, trying not to kill her house plants, and thrfting wayyyy too much. In her time away from school, Emily enjoys exploring Colorado, sleeping in a tent, sticking her arm up cow butts (long story, ask me about it some time!), jumping in freezing rivers, and not showering nearly enough. Emily lives in Cabot house and studies Human Evolutionary Biology. |
 | Casey Murray (he/him) – Tech Chair – cmurray@college.harvard.edu Casey was reared just north of Chicago, and this upbringing gave him a love (or bad case of Stockholm syndrome?) for the cold and unparalleled access to the great indoors. He finally realized what he’d been missing on his first trip to the North Woods of Wisconsin, and since then the great outdoors have given him scratches, sunburns, tick bites, mosquito bites, frost nips, and a deep-seated fear of geese. Of course, he’s ignored every sign that his love for the big outside is an unrequited one. When not dreaming of future expeditions, he can be found under his problem sets or singing at odd hours of the night. Casey is a Currier resident living in exile in the Cronkhite Center, and he does not believe in skyglow, swimming pools, or Liechtenstein. |
Trip Leaders
 | Zoe Goldstein Since making the trek from her home in Cambridge, MA to her (Eliot) House in Cambridge, MA (a trend?), Zoe has enjoyed continuing to build a reputation for herself as the clumsiest person to consistently seek out balance-challenging and post-hole-promising hikes. She has an intense love of books, comfy clothing, and all things fruit. When she’s not planning hikes in the Whites for days it’s going to rain or repeatedly asking people how they are as she passes them in the Yard, you can find her hanging out with five- and six-year-olds with the Mission Hill After School Program, walking back and forth between Eliot and the SOCH, or in the Barker Center bragging about how she only has class three days a week. She butters her toothbrush AFTER she puts water on it. |
 | Luke Bailey (he/him) Luke was raised in Longframlington (I promise its a real place), a small village in northern England. There wasn’t much to do in the village apart from go to the bakers and/or butchers, and talk to old people, so Luke spent much of his childhood exploring the local cheviot hills (imagine the rockies but way better because its in England). There are loads of great hikes and climbing spots in this area which is where Luke fell in love with the outdoors. After coming to university, Luke became a leader in the Outing Club to help others explore the outdoors. Luke studies computer science and math and lives in Dunster House. Catch him at IMs trying very hard but not achieving much because he spends too much time doing psets and not enough time at the Gym. |
 | Spencer Carter (he/him) Spencer is a junior in Winthrop House studying Psychology. He’s from Pelham, NY and is VERY conflicted about whether he should claim to be a “New Yorker” or not. He’s passionate about HUDS peanut butter, falling asleep in Science Center Hall B, and fixing typos wherever he can get his hands on them. Spencer is an avid hiker and paddleboarder, having fallen in love with the outdoors when he began college. He’s also a Scorpio. Make of that what you will. |
 | Alana Carroll (she/her) Alana hails from upstate NY, where she spent many years smearing herself (and her siblings!!) with mud and running wild through creek, marsh, and forest. Every summer (and during her gap year) she returns to her hometown to teach kids (and adults!) essential survival skills such as starting fires with friction, which mud pits are best for camouflage, how to carve with stone, how to catch trout with your bare hands, and how to properly abandon one’s civility. If you go on a trip with Alana, be prepared for intense excitement about what the general public dubs “mud, twigs, weeds, and pests”. It is her greatest desire to get everyone else as hyped about them as she is. |
 | Megan Curry Megan is technically a SoCal native, but since moving to Colorado for high school, she’s morphed into your stereotypical (Kind) granola hiker. Against the backdrop of Mt. Blanca, a 14er in the middle of nowhere Colorado, she fell in love with hiking and trail running. Today, you can find her hiking around Boulder or begging her friends and family to hike Longs Peak, to which they always decline. When she’s not hiking, you can find her trying to finish course books the class only read two chapters from, learning how to cook, or crocheting scarves. |
 | Jim Diamondidis Jim Diamondidis actually IS Batman. When he’s not saving lives in Gotham, he’s saving lives on treacherous HOC trips in New Hampshire. Jim always brings candy on his HOC trips, and he expects you to jam with him on the car ride. He studies math, and will probably ask you math questions on the trail—but don’t be fooled!—he’s an artsy-fartsy ski bum hippie at heart. Oh, and p.s., Alta is for skiers. |
 | Ezra Feder Ezra hails from Sharon, MA, where he first developed his love for the outdoors boating on Sharon’s lake, hiking its trails, and biking to the world’s eighth-best ice cream store. He loves everything outdoors but especially enjoys backpacking. Ezra hopes to summit all 48 of New Hampshire’s 4,000 footers in the next few years. Catch him on campus biking around and feeling sad that he’s not in the backcountry! |
 | Alex Fogel (she/her) Alexandra was raised in suburbs of NYC, which does not have tall mountains but does have awesome bagels which kinda makes up for it. She loves the outdoors despite the fact that the outdoors does not always love her (evidenced by the fact that she once sank up to her waist in mud in the middle of swamp while everyone else was somehow spared). Some of her favorite things to do in her favorite places to be are hiking in the White Mountains, surfing off the coast of Long Island, slaloming in Lake George, and skiing at Alta (she’s a first chair kinda gal). On campus, she can be found doing her Social Studies reading and EPS psets at the Barker Cafe, drumming up social events for the Club Climbing Team in her hammock at the Barker Garden, and just generally loitering around Barker. |
 | Nina Foster (she/her) Nina is a proud plant mom and English major hailing from Ossining, New York. When she’s not sipping an oat milk latte and reading in a cozy cafe, she happily sacrifices her Birks for hiking boots and heads to the mountains. A hike with Nina comes with an Insta-worthy photo guarantee, the only caveat being that you’ll have to wait weeks until she finally gets her film developed. Be warned: she will stop for at least five minutes to cuddle with any dog that she encounters on the trail, and she probably won’t stop talking about how cute the last one was until another comes along. Nina is also known for spontaneously belting out Christmas songs regardless of the time of year, diving into deep conversations after knowing someone for fifteen minutes, and curating Spotify playlists for those long drives into the Whites. |
 | Naomi Hegwood (she/her) Naomi Hegwood hails from North Dakota AKA the-one-state-the-you-have- never-been-to, which basically just means that she says bag wrong, knows way more about cows than she ever wanted to, and gets VERY excited whenever she’s in a place with trees and/or actual topography. Even though her fingers and toes are permanently icicles from living in one of the closest things the United States has to an Arctic Tundra her whole life, her warm heart and sarcastic comments still manage to melt through the snow, causing her to somehow be able to survive standing outside in -30 degree temperatures. When she is not freezing, Naomi can be found attempting to identify plants, doodling gnomes to her heart’s content (many people call her Nomes), or staring at her computer screen pretending to do work but instead getting distracted and looking up squirrels. |
 | Matthew Li Matthew Li hails from the town of Carlisle, Massachusetts. His love of the outdoors come partly from the fact that trees do not ask him how to spell or pronounce his last name, which comes partly from the fact that trees don’t talk – but they do make a sound upon falling, even if no one hears them. In addition to run on sentences, Matthew enjoys hiking & camping just about anywhere. On campus, Matthew studies some form of life science and some computer science. He also performs stand up comedy. |
 | Jenny Lu (she/her) Jenny comes from the warm (HOT), sunny Austin, Texas, where she grew up swimming outdoors year-round and goes on long walks with her goldendoodle, Pi (yes, like the number). In addition to the good old travel-by-foot, she loves to bike, ski, and ice skate. On campus, you might find her with a camera, or you just might not find her because she’s eating in Allston. Challenge Jenny to a game of Set, Bananagrams, or name the Taylor Swift song in 10 seconds, and her heart will be yours! |
 | Annie Miall (she/her) Annie comes from the faraway lands of Boston, Massachusetts where she fills her time with food. LOTS of food– including cooking maple bacon brussels sprouts, baking sponge cake, and consuming (and rating!) quality vanilla ice cream. When she’s not satisfying her gastronomic desires, you can find her hastily putting one foot in front of another (running), flapping her arms and legs in bodies of water (swimming), and having the absolute time of her life (hiking! With YOU!). |
 | Coby Sheehan (he/him) Coby hails from Austin, Texas, where the summers are almost as hot as his take that coffee is better with butter in it. Coby also has much family in Hawaii (where he was born) and grew up surfing, mountain biking, and petting his two bunnies during summers there. On campus, he participates avidly in IM sports, enjoys studying in Tatte while feeling slightly guilty about not buying anything, and loves playing Codenames with friends. He also loves the Quincy dining hall beets. |
 | Christian Wagner Hailing from the coastal ranges of Northern California, Christian grew up surrounded by redwood trees and ice-cold breakers. He first discovered his love for the backcountry in high school while backpacking the beautiful glaciers of Oregon’s Three Sisters Wilderness. Since then, he’s spent his days out west exploring the Sierras and beyond. When life took him east to the land of bricks and sticks, he made a vow not to let the hills of New England go untrodden, which he’s been living by ever since. On campus you can find him either nerding out at Stat office hours, hacky-sacking in Eliot courtyard, or sitting with his guitar by the Charles singing sad, sad songs, lamenting the 3,000 miles between himself and the kelpy surf breaks of Santa Cruz. |
 | Rob Walker (he/him) Rob’s currently trapped inside a computer. |
 | Kristina Wolinski Kristina grew up in the suburbs of Boston, where her family taught her to compost and then to watch each night as raccoons came to raid the compost bin. On her first ever hiking overnight, she threw up in a composting toilet, and has been hooked ever since – perhaps too hooked, though, because sometimes in the frontcountry she realizes she doesn’t remember when her last shower was. Some of Kristina’s favorite activities include running slowly, writing old-fashioned letters to friends, playing board games, and talking deep into the night. If college doesn’t work out, her plan is to become a full-time nomad. |
 | Sam Woolf (she/her) Sam Woolf, also known as “Hungry Like The” Woolf by her middle school gym teacher (for her excessive aggression during floor hockey), is now trying to live up to the name through the interesting snacks she brings on Outing Club hikes. These include, but are not limited to: instant sticky rice, dark chocolate ganache hearts, and goat cheese crumbles. Her favorite trail snack though, is the “immensely fruity, intensely chewy” Hi-Chew. Not only is the candy a nod to her Japanese heritage, but the altitude pun hits different on the summit. |
 | Serena Wurmser (she/her) Serena is from Montclair, NJ, but has spent the past year living in Utah, North Carolina, and Nevada… basically a lot of places. She studies Astrophysics and Earth & Planetary Sciences at Harvard, and loves nothing more than telling people about the night sky (her friends sadly can confirm). Some of her skills include knowing the time using the Big Dipper and making puns about space (although none about the solar system… those are only one star jokes). When not stargazing, she enjoys rock climbing, reading (especially lord of the rings!!), and finding more excuses to walk around barefoot. |
 | Jonathan Zhang (he/him) Jonathan “Juicy J” Zhang’s the name, wacky spaztastic fun’s his game! Born in raised in West Bloomfield, Michigan (aka South Canada), he was exposed to the outdoors from a young age. Never more than a few feet away from food at all times, Juicy J will hound people down to feed them like the mother hen he is. After joining a cult in New Mexico called UWC which touts a mission of “sustainability and peace,” Jonathan used the place as an excuse to partake in a week-long hike through the Grand Canyon, a 14-day trip with no refills through the Pecos Wilderness, and a 3-day orientation trip that he led for his own underclassmen. When he’s not in the wilderness, Jonathan can be found in Lowell House having an existential crisis and/or watching the Good Place. |
 | Alvin Zou (he/him) Born and raised in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia, Alvin couldn’t have grown up closer to the outdoors. Despite the Canadian stereotype, he doesn’t say “baaag” or “a-boot,” and while he never rode a moose to school, he did ski home after class one day (it helps when you live a block away). The Pacific Northwest instilled a deep appreciation for spending time in the wilderness. In his free time, you can catch Alvin skiing into a tree on the slopes of Whistler-Blackcomb, falling off a mountain bike in the Sierra Nevada, and managing to flip a supposedly un-flippable canoe on the Connecticut River (lesson learned: with enough movement, nothing is un-flippable). He also enjoys backpacking, kayaking, and river rafting. |
 | David Aley (he/him) David grew up in the United State of New Jersey, where he spent the majority of his time eating bagels, listening to Bruce Springsteen, and talking about how much he loved bagels and Bruce Springsteen. He really enjoyed his experience working at a running store in his hometown, where he once sold Stephen Colbert a pair of Asics, and also fell in love with outdoor communities. From running in 200+ mile relay races in Montana, to attempting (and failing) to surf in Hawaii, to hiking up mountains in the Austrian Alps, David has found himself consistently avoiding indoor spaces. When he (reluctantly) goes inside, you can find him struggling to complete NYTimes mini crosswords, procrastinating homework, or showing off pictures of his dog, Lola. His dream is to one day have a dog that will hike with him (Lola’s legs are unfortunately too short). |
 | Aurelia Balkanski (she/her) Aurelia was born and raised right next to sunny Stanford, CA. When she decided to pack her bags and haul ass all the way across the country to the sometimes very cold and sometimes very sticky state of Massachusetts, her family took it as a sign to move out too. Now, as a(n extremely proud and vocal) resident of Wyoming, Aurelia spends her summers frolicking in the mountains and lakes and her winters snowboarding in Jackson Hole. She enjoys petting animals, cooking and eating pasta, mid hike pb&j’s, swimming in any body of water regardless of temperature, sunsets that leave you speechless, and the stars. She does not enjoy cooked fish, pants that fit everywhere but your waist, potato chips (don’t tell matt, please), people who don’t pick up after you call them right back, and light pollution. Aurelia also loves when you sign up for her trips! Come hike! |
 | Ben Gallagher “Oh, you think New Hampshire is your ally. But you merely adopted the state; I was born in it, moulded by it.” – Ben Gallagher to HOC When Ben isn’t labelling the entire state of NH as his backyard, catch him around campus reading way too many books and stack ranking the HUDS soups. Off campus he loves to get outside in all seasons, though somehow finds a way to get burnt regardless of the weather. He claims slowboarder as a personality trait and slow hiker as a lifestyle. If you see him during his daily trek from the quad, say hi! |
 | Samantha Galvin Samantha Galvin hails from a small town a whopping 35 minutes north of campus, North Reading, Massachusetts. Her go to ice breaker is that she learned how to sing the alphabet backwards in preschool and can still do it to this day. She is also full of fun facts, her favorite one being that the only other mammal that enjoys spicy food is the tree shrew. Her love of the outdoors came from an early age of boating in the lakes region of New Hampshire with her grandparents, and came to fruition with the trail running she did as a cross country athlete in high school. Her favorite place to hike is the White Mountains of New Hampshire, although she would love to hike in some more tropical locations as well. Samantha’s love of the outdoors is due to both the calming ambiance and a deep rooted fascination for other creatures. Sammy loves to rock fun socks with any outfit, can constantly talk about her pet bunny, Nugget, and is a huge supporter of listening to Christmas music long before Thanksgiving arrives. |
 | Klara Kuemmerle (she/her) Hailing from downtown Boston where the wildest natural experiences she had as a kid were splashing in the Frog Pond and running from squirrels in the Boston Common, Klara now makes any excuse to go backpacking, hiking, rock climbing, camping, skiing, running, or biking. After hiking the W-Trek in Patagonia and traversing part of the Atacama dessert over her gap year, she now aspires to explore more of the Northeast and eventually the PNW, but she’s down for any trail in between tbh. Her passions include hammocking in the quad, pressuring the university to divest from fossil fuels, searching high and low for the best vegan baked goods, (sometimes just giving up and baking them herself), making pottery in the Cabot third-space, and biking to TJs for fresh fruit and pumpkin tortilla chips. Klara lives in Currier house and studies Environmental Science and Public Policy. |
 | David Shaw (he/him) David has lived in Boston his entire life (not actually, he lives a 15 min-drive away), but had only hiked a few times in the Northeast before college (aghast emoji). But then covid hit and David realized he needed to be outside as much as possible. His family also got a dog, Holly (an absolute menace), and he cannot wait to take her hiking with him. If he’s not stomping from the Quad or crashing his bike into other people, David will most likely working on his architecture drawings and will never shut up about them. |
 | Kate Stevens Kate is from Rye, New York, where her love for hiking, biking, and all-things outdoors fostered in the picturesque backdrop of suburban New York. During the summer, she would often trade the charming countryside of Westchester Country for wild outdoor adventures–trekking the AT with twizzlers and 2000s throwback songs, biking touring different coasts, and forcing her friends to go camping with her. She likes to spend her days getting lost on her bike (and somehow one summer made it across the country?), cultivating her extensive fun sock collection, and continuously attempting to be a plant person, although she has yet to keep one of her many bonsai trees alive. |
 | Zach Bartel (he/him) A proud Colorado resident and Arizona native, Zach was lucky to grow up immersed in a vast array of natural landscapes. Throughout his youth in the outdoors, Zach survived numerous alpine tummy aches induced by expired Cool Milt Chocolate CLIF BAR®s. Beyond this, he is also an aspiring arborist (owns one tree identification book) and has an ongoing love affair with the ponderosa pine. Zach has an infatuation with bears of all kinds particularly the North American Brown Bear but only when seen from a distance of at least 500 meters and from the safety of a car or structure (his mom says they’re really fast and also scary). If he isn’t binging backcountry ski videos on youtube, he’s probably playing the air guitar to a Steve Lacy song and brewing coffee in his room (not to drink, just to smell). |
 | Nicki Bugliosi (she/her) Nicki (pictured on the right) is a small town girl, from not-NYC-but-definitely-not-upstate Westchester, NY. Despite being from little Croton on Hudson, Nicki has roots in frigid Minnesota, leading to her love of hockey, a nice warm bowl of pasta, and snow. A rugged outdoors woman, Nicki can be found in every corner of the outdoors, whether it be tearing up the slopes (or more recently, the Currier IM flag football field) or tearing up as she backpacks across the beautiful Northeast. When she is inside, she’s probably Applying Math to the Earth, and maybe even some Planetary Sciences if it’s a good day. Why does she do it? Quote: “we are not entitled to Mother Earth.” |
 | Finn Crawford (he/him) Born and raised a mere stone’s throw away in Boston, Finn failed miserably at his one goal of leaving the Boston area behind after high school. Resigned to remain in Beantown for the foreseeable future, Finn consoles himself with regular excursions to the nearby White Mountains he grew up hiking with his dad and brother. When he isn’t clambering up those frosty mountainsides or birdwatching via his trusty kayak, Finn enjoys playing hacky sack, speedrunning jigsaw puzzles, and soundly defeating those unwise enough to challenge him at Harry Potter trivia. |
 | Katherinne Fox (she/her) Growing up in what is not mid, Midwest Minnesota, Katherinne grew up learning to love the bitter cold, rejoicing at any day when it wasn’t below zero. She has always loved being outside, playing sports with friends and family, kayaking, or swimming in one of the 10,000 lakes. But since being in college she has truly embraced her granola side, through hiking, skating, biking, and wearing a bajillion colorful bracelets. Do be warned that she is a dog-lover so she will stop every single person on the trail and ask them if she can pet their dog, emphasis on EVERY. She has an extreme hatred towards ticks and their cruel existence and meaningless role in our ecosystem and will in fact go on and on for hours about it. Her favorite meal is a good ol pb&j sandwich, (mostly because she cannot make anything else) because of the protein right? Katherinne lives in Leverett but you know you’ve found her if you hear a TSwift song blasting at any given hour. She is studying Integrative Biology, hoping to one day know just as much about plants as Katniss Everdeen minus the whole Hunger Games part. |
 | James Glaser (he/they) Hailing from a family of car campers in Missouri, James discovered a love of longer hikes and turtle-biomimicry (backpacking) during his gap year. Besides loving and leading in the outdoors, he enjoys buying new books before reading the old ones, and coming up with story ideas before writing the old ones. He purchased a physical subscription to the New Yorker over the summer (not for the free tote bag) and, while he will feel self-conscious about it, will bring up any article or story he reads several times in the following week. He has a mustache. He likes running. On trail, he is liable to introduce a lateral thinking game on the descent which he’ll explain beginning with the example “a brunch dish and a traitor” ==> “eggs benedict arnold”. You’ll like it more than you think. |
 | Sophia Ludtke (she/her) Sophia is from a small town in New Jersey called Gladstone (also known as Happy Rock) but grew up in Paris where she spent more time talking to her imaginary friend Douglas than any actual Parisians. Despite some unfortunate animal encounters (ask her about the time she was chased by a wild pig) and some unfortunate temperature encounters (ask her about the time she almost got frostbite backpacking in Colorado), her love of the outdoors has persisted. She enjoys exploring new trails in the Blue Ridge Mountains and around her home in New Jersey, attempting to cross country ski, taking care of vegetable seedlings, and journaling in beautiful places. She studies ESPP & Earth and Planetary Sciences and is a proud Quincy House resident. |
 | Genna McQuillan (she/her) Genna is a second-year from Connecticut now living in Cabot. Just about everything she does connects back to food and the outdoors in some way: cooking, environmentalism, kayaking, photography, beekeeping, picnics, etc. She has spent many hours talking about the restorative powers of almond butter, dark chocolate, and homemade trail mix, and she thinks hikes are the perfect opportunity to bond over such obsessions. Genna loves to thrift and is actively searching for secondhand stores in Boston (in addition to restaurant recommendations of course.) She is always down for a sunrise hike, a night spent stargazing, or a refreshing swim. |
 | Andrew Nober (he/him) Andrew hails from sunny Fort Worth, Texas, where the land is flat and the sky large. He began his journey to outdoorsy-ness early on after being described by teachers as “unable to use his inside voice.” Diagnosed soon after with a chronic case of Crunchy Youngest Sibling Syndrome, Andrew chased being unshowered whenever and wherever possible. In 2018, surrounded by flies and deep in Maine’s largest (and Shrek-iest) swamp, Andrew received a vision that can only be described as divine in nature. On a warm summer’s afternoon, not unlike today (or potentially unlike today), Andrew encountered the Little Debbie Nutty Buddy. In its chocolate-peanut-butter-wafer goodness, he found both his life’s purpose (consume more Nutty Buddies) and its downfall (only taste good while hiking). Andrew loves all sorts of outdoor activities, especially smelling trees and working on his watch tan. He is TIME Magazine’s 2006 Person of the Year. |
 | Thor Reimann (he/they) Contrary to what many on campus believe, Thor is not from the Greek island of Santorini here pictured — he just happens to be naturally smoldering and romantic. Common misconception! Hailing instead from the great state of Minnesota (and boy, is it great), Thor loves the beautiful sights and scenes of the Northeast, and finds the winters to be wonderfully tepid. They believe very strongly that song and music and dance and a playful sense of whimsy have no place in the outdoors, and would never ever ever sing anything, much less Pitch Perfect on the trail. When not romanticizing about graduating, moving to the middle of nowhere and befriending the animals of their local forest, you can find Thor at your local coffee shop, being insanely mainstream, listening to Beyonce, ‘working,’ and drinking an iced vanilla latte. |
 | Jordan Robbins (he/him) The son of Baskin and Red, Jordan Robbins originates from Indianapolis, Indiana. If you thought scenic nature hikes that overlook a large mountain range and place you on the cusp of the clouds were beautiful, then just wait until you see the corn fields in his hometown…*insert crickets*. An avid reader of German poetry, listener of pop artist Labrinth, and hiker of anything resembling a trail, Jordan has hiked the riverbeds of Indiana to the rolling hills of Moldova to the large mountains of Montana. When not outdoors, Jordan is probably indoors. Or, even more likely, he is looking outdoors from indoors. You know what they say? You can take the outdoors out of Jordan, but you cannot take Jordan out of the outdoors? Something akin to that. With feet constantly calloused due to his inability to sit down, he can most often be found walking back and forth from the quad (simply because he loves Currier d-hall, not because he lives there), pacing outside of the Widener building, or running to catch a shuttle. |
 | Izumi Vazquez (she/her) Izumi (“Zoom-Zoom” or “zuzu”) was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas (city girls rise up). Yes, she says “y’all.” No, she does not own cowboy boots (though she wishes she did). It, unfortunately, took Izumi 19 years to realize she loves the outdoors, but she is forever grateful for an 8-day backpacking trip in New Hampshire’s White Mountains she went on in May 2022 for sparking her granola girl era. She spends way too much money on Sweetgreen and consumes an excessive amount of overnight oats and Chobani non-fat vanilla blended greek yogurt. She is a Swiftie, appreciates em dashes, and loves sarcastic emoji usage. After graduating, she plans to solo-backpack across Europe and experience what it’s like to work on a farm in Southern France. Fun fact: Izumi has recorded a second of her day every day for a little over a year! (If only her commitment to curing her TikTok addition were that strong…) |
Trainees
 | Hannah Adler (she/her) Hannah is from Massachusetts, but not (!) from “just outside of Boston.” Rather, she hails from the distant region of western mass, which she affectionately refers to as “Bestern Mass.” Her favorite pastimes include accidentally skiing off cliffs in the backcountry of Vermont, taking her dog Meru for walks in the woods, and saying “hi buddy!” to every dog that she passes on the trail or elsewhere. Her outdoor wishlist for this year includes hiking the Presidential Traverse in one day and hopefully going on her first outdoor climbing trip! She thinks everybody should have clementines on hand for a trail snack, but she also recommends cheese and salami for ski or snowshoe trips (charcuterie at high elevation?? What could be better?). On campus she studies Environmental Science and Public Policy and plays the violin. |
 | Maggie Buckley (she/her) Coming from the Bay Area of California, Maggie has always found solace in nature but nature rarely finds solace in her. She has routinely found herself altitude sick, most notably with a throw-up incident about 1,500 feet from Mt. Shasta’s peak. She can make a mean camp coffee and has the craziest trail rizz out there. It took her 10 years to replace her sleeping bag and she’s still using the same mug from her first camping trip when she was 8. Ask her about her lemurian conspiracies or the nature cults that live along the upper Sacramento River. When she’s not outside, she can be found in the basement of Sever editing film or swimming in Blodgett pool across the river. |
 | Sarah Cao (she/her) Sarah’s hometown in Connecticut is basically one (1) grocery store plus a bunch (5000??) of trees. Therefore, though Price Chopper has many things going for it, she has spent much of her life outdoors and is an avid hiker, runner, kayaker, and skier. During hikes and climbs, you can find her chomping on honeycrisp apples, showing off her cute Nalgene bottles, and taking summit selfies in 0.5x. Some of Sarah’s other favorite things include bucket hats, Quest bar taste tests, vlogging (aka taking impressively low-quality videos of her friends), and Ikea. On campus, Sarah can be found making nerdy puns or learning to Rickroll people on the piano. |
 | Eddie Dai (he/him) Listening to folk and acoustic music, buying more plants than he can afford or care for, and wearing Chacos when people didn’t ask to see his toes—Eddie will do anything to maintain an outdoorsy aesthetic aside from actually stepping foot into nature. Kidding. Originally from the appropriately rated but nevertheless beautiful state of Kansas, Eddie enjoys the incomparable serenity of doing anything outside. When he’s indoors, Eddie likes cooking and baking, pretentiously making a cup of pourover, and reading the first five pages of books he’s had on his bookshelf for months. Eddie lives in Dunster House and plans to study Statistics, Sociology, and Environmental Science. |
 | Sam Davidson Sam hails from the very flat, very indoors but gloriously beard-filled Brooklyn, NY. To try to match the facial hair of the hipsters and hasidim back home, he started venturing into the great outdoors on his gap year where he heard you can grow a killer beard. All he got was some bushy scruff that his (very loving) mom called evocative of Ted Kaczynski, but it turned out that mountains were pretty cool too. On the trail you can find him whistling out of key or doubled-over panting on a so-called “trail run.” On campus you can find him doing the slow parts of a fartlek run (trust him, he just did some sprints), listening to his bangers-only hiking playlist on the stairmaster, or hiding in the basement of Lamont away from the sun’s harsh rays. Ask him (or don’t) about poles (hiking, magnetic, or otherwise), his love-hate relationship with baby powder, or his middle-school khaki addiction. |
 | Ashley Dawn (she/her) Ashley hails from Acton, Massachusetts, however, her love for the outdoors was forged in the deserts of Tucson, Arizona and the beaches of Cape Cod alike; it’s safe to say that Ashley loves the outdoors in all of its forms. One of the proudest Massachusettsians you will ever meet, prepare to hear her wax poetic about New England geography, history, and life. Ashley is most passionate about crocheting (let her know if you need a hat), birdwatching (in a cool way), wearing open-toed shoes, and drinking Earl Grey tea. |
 | Mia DiLorenzo (she/her) Mia “I’m from Minnesota” DiLorenzo hails from the aforementioned frozen tundra and is infamous for espousing the ‘Midwest is Best’ agenda. When she isn’t proclaiming her love for Field Notes and crafting hyper-specific Spotify playlists, you can find her knee-deep in a National Geographic article or wandering around the Arnold Arboretum. Her love of the outdoors stems from Minnesota’s forests and lakes, but she’s thrilled to finally experience some geographic diversity. Mia is happiest on her skis, climbing some rocks, or thinking about the next time she can eat peanut butter (and on a really, really good day — eating oatmeal with that peanut butter). |
 | Chloe Hansen (she/her) Proud Colorado native, Chloe is the oldest of two siblings, but somehow still by far the shortest. When she’s not flying down ski slopes or getting lost in the Colorado backcountry, you might find Chloe stress-crocheting the one thing she knows how to make (the tik tok fruit bags), or re-reading Anne of Green Gables for the 8th time. You’ll probably spot her wearing her hiking pants and chacos around campus, because she feels like they give her the power to do anything – even a Chem 17 pset. Appreciate her chaco tan and she’ll love you forever. In between walking back and forth to her new home (yay quad!!!) and trying to figure out how she can eat lunch on time (how have I still not learned HUD’s hours??) Chloe can be found playing volleyball on the quad lawn or trying her best to do crossfit in the Currier gym. |
 | Uzma Issa (she/her) Raised in the one and only sweet home Alabama, Uzma always enjoyed soaking in the sun, whether it be at the beach or the trails. She joined scouts and fell even more in love with hiking, backpacking, canoeing, horse-back riding, and camping. When not hiking, you can find her blue biking around Boston, psetting in Widener, climbing a tree in Boston Commons (which I may not be allowed to do but I haven’t gotten in trouble yet), or eating in Lowell dhall. |
 | Vinson Martin Growing up in the vast canyons and valleys of downtown Atlanta, Georgia, Vinson realized his passion for nature at a young age. After spending his formative years fishing with his grandparents, Vinson’s love of water and water sports translated into an obsession with surfing. If you are familiar with Georgia’s geography, you will notice that Atlanta is nowhere near the ocean, but he tries his best. Hopping on the “wave” (haha) of post-covid gap years, Vinson spent the 2021-2022 school year backpacking the West Coast of South America and is now ready to meet the awesome people at HOC. |
 | Terry McCafferty (he/him) Terry hails from Cleveland, Ohio, and loves hiking, skiing, running, white-water rafting, camping, eating, and many other things ing-ing. For Terry, waking up anytime past 5:30 am is sleeping in. He is a staunch supporter of putting ketchup on macaroni and cheese. Among his greatest life achievements are digging a 6+ foot deep hole in his backyard (when he was in 2nd grade) and catching a ~$60 overcharge on his mom’s vitamins at Target while reviewing her receipt on the car ride home. Making scavenger hunts and Survivor Challenges with his younger sisters are two of his favorite summer pastimes in addition to counting his number of mosquito bites (personal record at a single time – 63). |
 | Conor Meyer Conor Meyer is a first year student with a planned concentration of Mechanical Engineering. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Prior to attending Harvard, Conor spent 5 years in the military as a special operations team leader. In between his 3 tours of duty to Afghanistan, Conor also underwent arduous training and combat first responder courses. His time in the military is what fostered in him a passion for the outdoors. Conor has also worked as a surf instructor. He is happy to talk to anyone about his service, get more people surfing and into the outdoors, or about several other interests: Survivor, Football, or really any competition! |
 | Kainoa Paul (he/him) Kainoa grew up in Honolulu, Hawai’i where he ignored the advice of TLC and decided to go chasing waterfalls. Although his rainy pursuits didn’t always pan out, Kainoa found himself in love with Hawai’i’s incredible outdoors. The mountains had everything he needed: quality time with friends, incredible views, and an excuse to fuel his Belvita addiction. Here in New England, Kainoa plans to continue eating Belvita (cinnamon, of course) and can’t wait to explore the vastness of North America. He’s heard some mixed reviews, though. Apparently there’s large carnivorous mammals? And seasons? |
 | Josh Rosenblum (he/him) Josh Rosenblum hails (most recently) from Phoenix, Arizona, where he has spent the past 6 years acclimating to 120-degree summers and attempting, with only moderate success, to avoid getting impaled by cacti. Josh has been an avid outdoors person for as long as he can remember, having fallen in love with nature adventures as a toddler on an idyllic farm in West Chester, New York. Despite the intervening 15 years, Josh has kept his toddler-like excitement and fascination for nature walks and funky-looking bugs, while expanding the ways he engages with the outdoors to include rock climbing, backpacking, and skiing, among other activities. When not exploring the outdoors, Josh can be found fan-girling over John Mayer, making killer salads in Annenberg, and fervently rooting for his *looks around nervously* New York Yankees. |
 | Tyler Shelton What of that Iowa boy? Tyler, was it? He’s one of the stranger ones with some interesting desires, yes. I’m not sure why anyone would subject themselves to running ultramarathons some day or to reading more books on more subjects than any human could possibly care to remember or even to writing about their killer kermit impression in a short, self-aware biography. He’s a quiet one at first with some strange interests, but you can’t deny that he simply seems…happy. He’s the same person in the hall as he is in the mountains, the same person in his own words as he is in his soul, the kind to be glad that moments happened and not sad that they ended. Strange, yes, but someone who wants to share nature with everyone around him and tell them, with all the love in the world, to “take a hike” and “go jump in a lake.” |
 | Natalie Weiner (she/her) Natalie was raised in the concrete jungle of NYC, yet somehow has embraced the crunchy, granola girl lifestyle 🙂 A self-proclaimed walking fiend, Natalie is in her happy place roaming the streets and parks of NYC. Natalie is infamous among her friends as the “one that never gets cold and always wears shorts while running in the dead of winter.” Due to her cold-bloodedness, inclement weather does not deter Natalie in the slightest from getting outside. 12 degrees and snowing? Put on some snow boots and layer up! Torrential downpour? I’ve got my raincoat, rain pants, umbrella and an extra set of clothes/socks in my backpack! Natalie is an extreme peanut butter enthusiast and will often talk about her intense craving for an apple with peanut butter as the hunger hiker hits while summiting a mountain. Besides her love for extremely long walks/hikes, Natalie is an avid road biker. Despite not being able to ride a bike till age 10, she somehow managed to bike across the country the summer before her senior year and will not stop talking about her overwhelming love for the great state of Kansas 🙂 |