Board Members
 | Robert Lawrence (he/him) – President – 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. |
 | Emily Schanzer – Vice President – emilyschanzer@college.harvard.edu Growing up, Emily used to actively hate hiking, and would get mad at her parents when they forced her to come along. Thankfully, she has changed her ways, and now loves any and all outdoor activities, including hiking, camping, climbing, biking, and campfire-ing. In her downtime, you can find Emily thrifting, making elaborate HUDS concoctions, photosynthesizing on the Quad lawn, wearing overalls maybe too much, and showering maybe too little. Emily is from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, but currently resides in Cabot House, and spends too much time in Science Center Hall B on her way to a degree in Human Evolutionary Biology. |
 | Josh Rosenblum (he/him) – Treasurer 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. |
 | Sam Davidson – Gear Manager 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. |
 | Terry McCafferty (he/him) – Gear Manager 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). |
 | Hannah Adler (she/her) – Trip Manager 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. |
 | Eddie Dai (he/him) – Diversity and Inclusion Chair – eddiedai@college.harvard.edu 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. |
 | Ashley Dawn (she/her) – Social Chair Ashley “dusk till” Dawn would be nothing without her Birkenstock clogs, stickered Nalgenes, and thrifted wardrobe. Oh, and hiking. A newly minted Environmental Science and Public Policy concentrator, Ashley loves absolutely everything about being “granola”— except eating granola, of course (there are just so many better cereals out there…). Like every Harvard student you’ve ever met she’s from “30 minutes outside of Boston,” however, her love for the outdoors was forged in the deserts of Tucson, Arizona and the beaches of Cape Cod alike. Ashley is most passionate about crocheting (let her know if you need a hat), birdwatching (in a cool way), drinking Earl Grey tea (Bigelow is Best), and (parentheses). Ashley is most easily identified by her bright yellow Crocs and incessant Hamilton trail singing. |
 | Mia DiLorenzo (she/her) – Social Chair Undeterred by sub-zero temperatures and long vowels, Mia “I’m from Minnesota” DiLorenzo embraces the aforementioned frozen tundra and seldom stops discussing her love for the Midwest. She’s often found bagging peaks in New Hampshire while simultaneously declaring her distaste for peakbaggers (Mia loathes hypocrisy. And irony.) When she isn’t flipping through the latest National Geographic or climbing some rocks, Mia will be spotted sipping black coffee en route to the Whites and chanting “Live Free or Die” while crossing the MA/NH state line. Known to have her finger on the pulse of reality, Mia remained convinced that Martha Stewart owned Martha’s Vineyard (until an undisclosed recent date) and was similarly shocked to discover that jaywalking wasn’t merely “walking in the shape of a J.” Ask about her strangely frequent — yet highly preventable — near-death experiences or how to perfect the one-peel orange. |
 | Casey Murray (he/him) – Tech Chair – cmurray@college.harvard.edu Casey “no longer a newt” Murray 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 buried somewhere under his problem sets or furtively redistributing the Currier House bagel supply. 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
 | 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! |
 | 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. |
 | Arturo Aguilar (he/him) 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”). |
 | 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. |
 | Talya Li (she/her) 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. |
 | 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. |
 | 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. |
 | 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). |
 | Grace Benkelman 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! |
 | 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. |
 | 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.” |
 | 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. |
 | 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. |
 | Avery Gardner 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. |
 | 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. |
 | 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. |
 | 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) In a Maine swamp quite muddy I found the joyful Nutty Buddy Little Debbie did say Eat a whole box a day But only in nature they’re yummy But a dilemma so tough They taste oh so rough When not on a hike Nutty Buddies I don’t like So into the woods I huff |
 | 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…) |
 | 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. |
 | 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? |
 | 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 🙂 |
Trainees
 | Rachel Akinla (she/her) Rachel comes from New York (no, not the city but an hour north. And no, it’s not Upstate). Her town is pretty quiet and rural– something she realize she very much misses after coming to Harvard. Despite being heavily surrounded by nature for most of her life, she tended to stay away from the tick ridden, poison ivy riddled, mosquito infested world that she saw as the outdoors. However, after she began working at her local nature conservancy and becoming more “one with the outdoors,” Rachel realized that maybe a tick bite or two wasn’t too bad. She is happy to say that she is now a nature lover and will launch into an unprompted explanation on why sassafras leaves smell like froot loops. And why black birch is unequivocally the best smelling tree in the Northeast. On any typical afternoon you may find her napping (80% chance), running (10% chance), crocheting (5% chance), or browsing REI’s website for miscellaneous outdoors gear that she definitely does not need (5%). |
 | Carly Brail (she/her) Raised in the incredibly challenging terrain and biological diversity of the Concrete Jungle, Carly loves running, walking , biking, and literally anything outside. She will talk for hours and hours about country music, is obsessed with Jason Isbell, and loves to “adventure” in the vaguest possible sense. |
 | Fiona Brainerd (she/her) Fiona came to Harvard from the green oasis of New York City. From a young age she was forced to spend weekends on her grandparents’ (wifi-less) farm in Connecticut, where she became an outdoor enthusiast and climbed many a tree. She has since fallen in love with outdoor climbing, backpacking, skiing, and all types of camping, and dedicated her gap year to the pursuit of these interests. In the wild you can find Fiona cuddling her backcountry bread dough, hunting for good hammock spots, and fiercely debating which clif bar flavor is superior (it’s cool mint chocolate). In the front country she can be found sailing, reading trashy books, and still adamant about clif bars. |
 | Thomas Cardenas (he/him) Throughout his life, Thomas has found joy in electrocuting and making a fool out of himself (not necessarily in that order), so naturally he’s found himself pursuing electrical engineering and performing arts as major academic and career interests – sadly though, because one pays so much better than the other and he [will] need to provide for his family, it seems that capitalism has forced him to eventually become an actor. But as recently as two years ago Thomas found his third love: wading through swamps while mosquitoes eat him alive in 105° heat, or as non-Floridians call it, hiking. Hiking in his natural habitat has granted him a huge advantage at the expense of one major weakness: Thomas is an excellent gator fighter, but a grossly inexperienced altitude climber. In spite of this, Thomas is quite proud of his highest Florida hike, where he and the most elite outdoorsman he knows (his buddy Kyle) managed a -2 foot gain! A few of his hobbies include challenging chess players rated at least 1000 ELO higher than him, singing musical theatre songs, making fun of people who sing musical theatre songs, and most recently, maxing out the toppings on the super nachos at El Jefe’s. |
 | Thea Chung (she/her) Hailing from the home of the (Great) Blue Hills (emphasis on hills), Thea and the outdoors have always been buddies. Her eighth birthday party consisted of decorating low quality t-shirts from Michaels with the words (prepare to cringe…her mom chose the name) “Power Girl Hikers”™ and climbing up to a lookout where she and her friends ate smushed, dry carrot cupcakes. Her family remembers her childhood self by her dirt-caked feet, her collections of shells, and the holes in her pants that marked her victorious (and creative) descent butt-sliding down Mt. Monadnock. And yet she continues to get her feet dirty, collect nature’s souvenirs, and ruin clothes on longer hiking and camping adventures. Aside from these excursions, Thea can be found drinking coffee (at any and all points), photographing on her dad’s old Nikon F2, fermenting foods (or alone in the library), zooming around on her free Facebook marketplace bike, learning to rock climb, or gabbing about her love for wool socks. |
 | Anna Collins (she/her) Anna’s love for the outdoors stems from her childhood in Northern California. She grew up hiking in redwood forests, lovingly memorizing different fern species along the trails, and night-swimming in bioluminescent coves. If it weren’t for her magical freshman seminar Tree, she’s not sure she would’ve survived the transition to Harvard’s urban campus (ask her about her sugar maple). Perhaps controversially, she believes nothing hits the spot after hiking quite like mass amounts of HUDS cornbread. In her free time, you can find her rewatching Pride and Prejudice 1995, painting on any surface that looks vaguely paintable, going for long barefoot walks in the rain, buying the same book in several different editions, and DIYing projects completely beyond her range of ability and/or skill. Turns out watching a twenty-second Tiktok about building a desk does NOT qualify you for building a desk. She is shocked and aggrieved by this discovery. |
 | Emmanuel Edwards (he/him) Emmanuel hails from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, so he spends much of his time on the move to avoid standing around in the polar vortex that he calls home. Playing sports (track and field and football in high school, he’s hoping to be a rugby and IM warrior at Harvard) and cycling tend to be his activities of choice to keep his blood from freezing within his veins (which actually has happened to people.) When it’s time to head inside, Emmanuel enjoys lifting weights, reading, and watching movies with friends. He doesn’t have time for lackluster films, though, so he sticks to the classics. You’ll often find him analyzing the consensus greatest movie of all time, Will Ferrell’s “Anchorman 2”. He’s seen the cinematic masterpiece no less than two dozen times (and counting). |
 | Lily Farden (she/her) Lily comes from a town by the ocean on the south shore of Massachusetts, where as a child she quickly developed a knack for getting “lost” (exploring in my 6 year old opinion) in the outdoors. (Seriously. The adults at a neighborhood block party once spent two hours searching for her only to find her in the woods swinging on a makeshift tarzan jungle rope). While her navigational skills have improved, her love for the outdoors has remained a strong part of her life, especially over the past 4 years, where she developed a healthy(?) obsession with the hiking challenges of the New Hampshire white mountains. She is known for giving superior advice on outdoor adventure, such as, “it’s so easy to stay warm if you just don’t get cold,” and, “you won’t realize you’re tired if you just don’t stop.” Her biggest outdoor accomplishments include being the sweatiest person on every hike she’s ever done, and creating her world famous “post hike energy” playlist. Hiking, backpacking, camping, camp-firing, cliff jumping, and beach games are some of Lily’s favorite outdoor activities. She plans to take a 2 week trip to hike the NH portion of the AT next summer, and if she’s feeling especially in the mood for suffering, she hopes to do the Pemi loop in one day. When she’s not busy touching grass in some form or another, she enjoys playing guitar, seeing live music, trying new food places, supporting her favorite Boston sports teams (sorry), and watching stand up comedy. As an intended psychology concentrator, she’s looking forward to learning more about what it really is within her that draws her so strongly to the outdoors. |
 | Kennedy Hackett (she/her) Meet Kennedy Hackett, the Pasadena prodigy with a heart as big as California because Texas is not the only big state! and a love for country music that runs deeper than a muddy riverbed. When it comes to twangin’ tunes, she’ll tell you it’s “not just Morgan Wallen, honey, there’s a whole honky-tonk universe out there!” But don’t let those cowboy boots fool you; Kennedy’s not just a two-stepping country connoisseur. She’s also a bona fide wilderness warrior, thanks to her Quad cred. Whether it’s conquering mountains or just heading to Science center B for the second time of the day, Kennedy knows how to hike like a pro. When she’s not crooning along to her favorite country ballads or scaling peaks, Kennedy is hard at work on her biomedical engineering degree, all while riding the pre-med rollercoaster. Yup, she’s the kind of person who finds serenity in the chaos of complex equations and lab experiments. For Kennedy, being outdoors is the calm in the storm of her life, where she can recharge and prepare for the next verse in her epic journey. So, if you’re ever in need of a hiking buddy who can break down the science behind a perfect campfire s’more or if you want to debate the merits of classic versus contemporary country tunes, Kennedy Hackett is your go-to gal. She’s as witty as a stand-up comedian at a rodeo and as sharp as a scalpel in the OR – a true force of nature, y’all! |
 | Seager Hunt (he/him) Growing up on a family-owned cattle operation, Seager’s childhood was characterized by frolicking in the open fields, stacking fifty-pound feed bags, and making friends with the cows who only loved him back for said feed. In high school he could most likely be found honing his competitive dance skills, but now in college he has found ways to express himself by repeatedly wearing his collection of Patagonia baggies (three pairs and counting!), keeping the most OCD planner you’ve ever seen (you should ask about his math notes after that), and trying to memorize all the words to Zach Bryan’s newest album. Backpacking is the name of Seager’s game, and if you ask about his experiences in Alaska and Yosemite, be prepared to hear extensive stories about almost dying from an explosive propane tank, every kind of rock and fossil you can find in the Talkeetna Mountains, and The Kid That Got Sent Home. |
 | Emile Labrador (he/him) Emile Labrador is from Honolulu, Hawaii, and when it comes to outdoor activities, he loves everything under the sun. Looking for Emile? You might find him 100 ft underwater spearfishing for his dinner, hydrofoiling miles out from shore, hiking a ridge trail, jumping off waterfalls, surfing and more. If you ever feel inspired to surf or hydrofoil, let Emile know. He currently has a surfboard and hydrofoil sitting under his bed in his room at Pennypacker. Towards the end of this past summer, Emile had to take a break from his outdoor routine and go on a shopping spree when he suddenly realized his wardrobe consisting of board shorts and t-shirts would not get him through a Bostonian winter. Emile is an adventurer. One notable example of this was when he crafted a PB and J + Hummus and Cheese sandwich on his FOP trip (it was delicious). On a more serious note, he can’t wait to explore the unfamiliar mountains of New England and turn the mountains into his new ocean. |
 | Nate Marinaccio (he/him) Nate is from the urban jungle of NYC. Despite being from the greatest city in the world with infinite activities, he loves to escape the tall buildings, concrete and asphalt ground, and constant noise to get out into nature. He grew up leaving New York to get to the amazing hikes and ski areas in Connecticut and the Hudson valley. Nate loves anything that gets him outside and moving, but a big piece of his heart lies with long distance biking, having once biked over 100 miles to get a cup of mac and cheese from his favorite cafe (it was worth it). You will probably see him with my AirPods, listening to either 90s hip-hop or modern folk music. |
 | Shay Li (she/they) Shay used to hate the outdoors and thought hikers were weirdos but after seeing the light in college (read: getting on meds) they are now one of those weirdos. Rivers! Willows! Hills! The world is so beautiful it moves them to tears, and they can’t quite do it justice in their drawing but they sure as hell will try. They hail from Ohio and will rep the Midwest proudly. Shay is doing a double concentration in both Computer Science and English, which means that they love to read and coding is okay, I guess. They love biking, playing guitar, rewriting the beginning of the same novel for the nth time, and head-banging at concerts so loud that the bassline thrums through your whole body. Their favorite things include: udon, denim vests, and Charli XCX. |
 | Tatum Richardson (she/her) Tatum grew up in the North Shore of Chicago, IL, with a woefully indoorsy family. To their dismay, she decided to take a gap year (having no prior outdoor experience) during which she slept outside in Colorado for 2 months, worked at REI, lived out of a Subaru in National Forests, and in a variety of hostels abroad chasing beaches and mountains. To this day she still thinks about where in Cambridge she could manage sleeping outside, because she definitely prefers it to four walls and a roof. Thus far she has been unsuccessful (with the exception of Quad lawn naps). When she’s not mulling over the constraints of modern architecure, you can find her in various spaces around the Quad, waxing poetic about how much she loves the Quad, or with her River friends secretly hoping they will transfer to the Quad. (The grass-to-people ratio is just so much better). |
 | Daniel Morales Rosales (he/him) Daniel hails from the Sun (Tucson, Arizona), where he slowly but surely grew into his appreciation for all things nature. Nature truly seized his heart on a 3-week long backpacking trip in high school to the far and vast mountains of Alaska. Under the perpetual sunlight there, he learned (but promptly forgot) FOUR proper knots, how to fall kneedeep into mud with style, and the most effective bear calls (very loud singing). Who needs bear repellent when his loud and proud singing horrifies any animal within a 1.3-mile radius? When he’s not in the backcountry, he’s trying new baking recipes (and takes great pride in his claim of the best chocolate chip cookie recipe), fanboying over the new Marvel/Star Wars project, or chasing down sunsets with his camera, affectionately named Shutter. On the trail, expect Shutter to accompany him, even in the wettest weather. |
 | Charlie Ryan (he/him) Growing up in the wooded-ish (depends where you are) wonderland that is Wisconsin, Charlie developed an extreme appreciation for things like canoeing, the Packers, camping, fishing, skiing (which is “EXTREMELY” difficult in Wisco), and somehow the flavor of mango sticky rice. Nowadays, you can often find Charlie running around the river in the middle of the night or perhaps doing some semi-leisurely laps in the pool. He is perhaps best described as a connoisseur of literature (pretty much just fantasy novels), a moderately solid chef, and an aspiring actor. He loves creating random tier lists as well as having deep or wacky conversations. His goals right now are to run an Iron Man and perhaps complete the World Marathon Challenge. A resident of Cabot (Semper Cor!!!) studying applied mathematics, he is happy to have a conversation with anyone. So say hi if you see him! |
 | Caleb Thompson Caleb is from a small town called New Castle in Western Colorado. Spending time outdoors runs in the family–his Dad recently finished climbing the 200 highest summits in Colorado and his older brother is on pace to finish the 500 highest summits before he turns 25. When he’s not out on the trail, Caleb enjoys playing the piano, learning new languages, and traveling. Whether it is hiking or talking about foreign policy, exploration and curiosity about the world are what unite his passions. |
 | Theo Tobel (he/him) Theo hails from sunny and sandy Santa Monica, California, where he spent a significant part of his childhood biking and hiking in the nearby mountains. His favorite hobbies include slapping the bass guitar, woodturning random logs into pens, bowls, and a variety of other round objects, and reading anything he can get his hands on. Theo has spent his last nine summers at sleep-away camp, where he has cherished the opportunity to disconnect from technology and enjoy the simplicity of the outdoors with his closest friends. Due to his SoCal upbringing, you can likely find Theo underneath six layers of clothing – or, in warmer weather, sporting a bucket hat playing frisbee in the yard or foraging for mushrooms in the Arnold Arboretum. Theo’s favorite television show is Curb Your Enthusiasm (he can do a pretty, pretty good Larry David impression) and if you see him with his AirPods in, he’s almost surely listening to Stevie Wonder. |
 | Lauren Wood (she/her) Lauren hails from Louisville (not Loo-ee-ville, not Loo-is-ville… ask her about it) in beautiful Kentucky, home to horses, a certain fried chicken franchise, and Jack Harlow. She’s not really sure if she got into hiking and outdoorsmanship for the pure love of it, or because she wanted to impress a super outdoorsy crush (successfully! They dated up until a month ago. Maybe don’t ask her about it…), but in any case, she is now a sucker for a solid hike, kayak, or other adventure. She recently finished an eight part podcast about Ted Kazynski (ask her about it), so she feels especially ready to embrace her inner slightly strange vibes Harvard student/wilderness explorer. You can find her in a hammock anywhere that a hammock can be put. When not outdoors, you might find her on stage (theater kid…shiver), reading, writing little poems on the backs of receipts, or watching Breaking Bad or Bojack Horseman (ASK HER ABOUT IT). |
 | Sheerea Yu (she/her) Nothing makes Sheerea happier than being outdoors, which has been helpful in grounding her college experience so far—it has mostly involved spinning in circles because there are so many options and paths to consider. As a first year, Annenberg has caused surprising changes in her eating habits, like using hummus as dressing for salads and eating yogurt + granola with every meal. Sheerea is also a serial rereader of her favorite books and always has to finish books that she has started, even if it ends up being painfully boring. She was super happy to see that there is a Trader Joe’s ~1 mile away from Harvard Yard, since she has been known to make trips there just to obtain a single bag of chocolate covered plantain chips. As a PSA, on her conscience as a native of Tennessee, she wants to let everyone know that Great Smoky Mountains National Park has no entrance fee. |