Cycling and surfing and volunteering, oh my! What more could one want from a sunny summer on the Pacific Coast? This season, returning leaders and Apo-veterans unite to share traditions new and old with their Apogee students as they cycle-tour together from Eugene, OR to San Francisco, CA. There will be sweat, there will be song, there will be pancakes. Without further ado, here are this year’s Pacific Coast leaders!

Carter Sanders – Pacific Coast

After leading three Vermont to Montreal trips last year, soon-to-be Hamilton College graduate Carter Sanders can’t wait to venture west this summer and navigate the Pacific Coast.  In addition to his laurels as a returning Apogee leader, Carter may also be the next John Legend (the contemporary R&B singer of “All of Me” fame). Having grown up south of Boston, MA with his parents and sister, Carter quickly discovered his interest in working with kids, love for adventure, and passion for music. After summers working as the Head Lifeguard and teaching swim lessons at a local pool, Carter spent a summer following his passion for music, interning at Bar/None Records, a well-known record label. Traveling to Paris, London, and South Africa for school community service projects sparked his desire to travel, and Carter spent his junior year spring semester hiking, paragliding, playing music, and immersing himself in the culture of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. After soaking up the California sun this upcoming summer, Carter will be heading to Malaysia to start an English Teaching Fulbright! At Hamilton, he’s the music director of his a cappella group, a three-time wilderness pre-orientation leader for Hamilton’s Adirondack Adventure program, and a Philosophy and Music double-major. We eagerly await the release of Carter’s debut album, where he combines his love and talents for jazz piano, guitar, and singing/ songwriting. In addition to his singing, Carter’s Apogee students can look forward to playing his favorite campfire game, Mafia, with him all the way down the Pacific Coast this summer!

Jessie Kravet – Pacific Coast

Jessie Kravet joined the Apogee community in 2012, when she participated in her first Apogee bike-touring trip, Coast to Quebec. She returned the next two years to ride our Pacific Coast and America Coast to Coast trips; we couldn’t be more excited to welcome Jessie back, this time as an Apogee leader! Growing up as the youngest of four girls in Larchmont, NY, Jessie’s love of the outdoors, sports, and music blossomed. She is a talented pianist and cellist, she has swum competitively (including as a member of the synchronized team!) for most of her life, and some of her fondest memories are of her family cycling the Cape Cod Rail Trail. Now a rising senior at Hamilton College where she studies Government, Jessie is a member of the Ultimate Frisbee Team and just returned from a fantástico semester abroad in Spain. Jessie has dedicated much of the past few years to working with and educating youth: in 2015, she served as an Assistant Teacher for first- through eighth-graders at a Summer Ecology Camp; this past summer, she worked for a non-profit organization called Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco), which provides medical care and housing support, as well as after-school education opportunities, for families in South Bronx, NY. As a Teaching Fellow there, Jessie worked with students in a classroom and ran a cooking club and STEM program. At Hamilton, Jessie also finds time to work as a mentor and Spanish teacher in the local community of Clinton, NY. This summer, she’s excited to combine her extensive bike-touring experience with her teaching background as she rediscovers the beauty of our Pacific Coast trip!

Jack DeAngelis – Pacific Coast

We are so excited to welcome Jack DeAngelis back to the Apogee team this summer to lead our Pacific Coast trip! Jack grew up in Connecticut alongside his two sisters, and to say he has wide-ranging interests would be an understatement. As a rising senior at the University of Richmond, you may find this English Literature major honing his skills as he curls up with a good book, puts finishing touches on an essay, or serving as a consultant at the school’s writing center. On the other end of the spectrum, you may have to pick up your pace to keep up with him as he blazes through miles as an avid runner. Jack is such a dedicated athlete that he logged 252,631 racing meters (and thousands more while training) – catch him if you can! Jack balances his intellectual and athletic pursuits and even finds time to give back to the community. An executive board member of Alpha Phi Omega, a national community service fraternity, he also loves working with kids and spent summer 2016 working with teens at a YMCA summer camp. He is, if you will, a Jack of all trades: last summer, his writing skills shined on our Maine Coast College Essay trips, and this year, his physical prowess will be put to use to use on a cycling itinerary. Ask Jack about his “Best Co Ever” paper plate award or why he loves the dog store so much. Jack’s self-proclaimed kryptonite is a stack of banana pancakes – maybe he’ll fry some up for his participants one morning along the Pacific Coast this summer!

Grace Warder – Pacific Coast

Grace Warder grew up prioritizing family and spending time outdoors. Her love of outdoor exploration prompted her to participate in not one, not two, but three Apogee cycle-touring trips in her youth! Grace has joined us on Vermont to Montreal, Pacific Coast, and Montana Service Adventure. Grace has since continued to seek out adventure: she embarked on a NOLS trip in Alaska and also hiked the entire Tahoe Rim Trail through Nevada and California in 2016. In addition to honing her wilderness skills, Grace has recently devoted herself to education and spending time with youth. In 2017, Grace spent her summer as an Ultimate Frisbee coach for second- and third-graders. As a rising junior at Bates College, she also regularly volunteers as a Teacher’s Assistant at a local kindergarten and in second and sixth grade classrooms around Lewiston, ME. On campus, Grace is an Environmental Studies major, a volunteer EMT, a pre-orientation trip leader for incoming first years, and a member of the Ultimate Frisbee Team. While Grace never really left the Apogee family, we’re delighted to welcome her enthusiasm and positivity back this summer in a new role – she’ll head out west to experience our Pacific Coast trip again, this time as a trip leader. Grace can’t wait to meet her Apogee students and spend the summer sharing funny stories as they head south toward the Golden Gate Bridge together!