From helping their Maine Coast College Essay students craft their essays to volunteering and adventuring on St. Croix, these four wonderful folks are in for quite the summer! Get to know them a bit more below!
Name: Cleo Whitney (she/her) 
2025 Trips: Caribbean Service: Virgin Islands and Maine Coast College Essay
Hometown: Newton, Massachusetts
School: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Class of 2026
Certifications: Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness Swim Safety & CPR
Favorite outdoor activities: Backpacking, paddling (in all of its many forms!), and having a good snack with an even better view
Highlights from the past year: This past year Cleo spent the spring semester on exchange in the Netherlands where she learned the art of a good scrapbook and fell in love with biking!
Where you can find Cleo when she’s not scrapbooking at a European cafe: She is probably on the hunt for someone to play cards with or celebrating her latest score on the New York Times Crossword. You can also likely track her down by listening for the Cars soundtrack.
Other reasons Cleo is the niftiest: Cleo has been Irish dancing since she was about five years old, participating in both local and international competitions. She still teaches youth classes and competes with her college team – ask her to teach you a jig! Speaking of dancing, she would also be happy to break out her line dancing skills or the Footloose choreography she memorized from Just Dance Kids 2014. Cleo has spent the last five summers as a kayak, canoe, and paddleboard guide in the Boston area, and also gets her outdoors fix during school as a Backpacking Leader for the Hoofers Outing Club. Cleo has been getting out in nature for a long time; in fact she is a five-year Apogee alumna! Her resume includes: Colorado Rocky Mountains, California’s Mountains & Coast, Scottish Highlands, Pyrenees Mountains and Coast, and Northwest Explorer!
Name: Wyatt Wetzler (he/him) 
2025 Trips: Caribbean Service: Virgin Islands and Maine Coast College Essay
Hometown: Virginia Beach, Virginia
School: University of Virginia: McIntire School of Commerce, Class of 2027
Certifications: Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness Swim Safety & CPR
Favorite outdoor activities: Biking, hiking, and disc golf
Highlights from the past year: Wyatt spent much of last year hitting the hiking trails – memorable highlights include hiking Mount Rainier and visiting Iceland to hike on glaciers.
Where you can find Wyatt when he is not taking in a summit view: He might be playing golf, soccer, basketball, working out, or building something out of wood.
Further proof that Wyatt is the coolest: In high school, he was elected both team captain and player of the year, leading his team to their first ever state soccer championship. He now volunteers with students ages 7-10, teaching them all of his championship-winning soccer moves! His skills as a leader don’t stop there, because Wyatt is also a Trip Leader for the UVA Outing Club, guiding fellow college students out on hiking and biking trips. Wyatt also enjoys travel and adventure, from scuba diving in the Caymans, to sea kayaking in Greece, to hiking the Matterhorn, to biking through Ireland. Wyatt is absolutely stoked to be joining the Apogee community this summer to explore Maine and the Virgin Islands with his students!
Name: Ky Klassen (she/her) 
2025 Trips: Caribbean Service: Virgin Islands and Maine Coast College Essay
Hometown: Mesa, Arizona
School: Grinnell College, Class of 2025
Certifications: Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness Swim Safety & CPR
Favorite outdoor activities: Running and picnicking
Highlights from the past year: Ky had a very exciting year, traveling to Dublin, Ireland to study abroad during her final year at Grinnell!
Where you can find Ky when she is not picnicking on the coast of Ireland: She is likely outside strumming her guitar or challenging a friend to a water balloon fight (which we are certain she would win).
More reasons to love Ky: Ky is currently living out her Pitch Perfect dreams through being a member of her college’s acapella group. Also at school, Ky also works as the Editor in Chief of their Literary and Art Magazine and leads tours for the college! Outside of school, Ky spent a summer with the Americorps in Iowa, working on community initiatives and field trips with schools. She will proudly tell anyone that she is also quite good at the game ‘name that tune’, a skill that we are excited to see play out in van rides this summer! Ky is so excited to be a part of the Apogee community this summer as she explores the coasts of Maine and the Virgin Islands this summer with all her amazing students!
Name: Morgan Dahdal (she/her) 
2025 Trips: Caribbean Service: Virgin Islands and Maine Coast College Essay
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
School: Arizona State University, Class of 2026
Certifications: Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness Swim Safety & CPR
Favorite outdoor activities: Hiking, camping, and rafting
Highlights from the past year: Morgan spent a lot of time outside this year, taking a solo trip to Joshua Tree National Park, visiting Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica (one of the most biodiverse places on earth!), and camping in Oregon with her friends.
Where you can find Morgan when she is not visiting a National Park: She is likely at a farmers market, taking a walk, trying out a new coffee shop, or watching a documentary.
Facts that will make you say “Wow, Morgan is awesome”: Morgan worked as a kids counselor for three summers at a dude ranch in Colorado! While on the ranch, she facilitated hiking, rafting, paddleboarding, fishing, horseback riding, and more with her campers. She has also been teaching yoga at the Arizona State University rec center for four years, while also teaching at a hot yoga studio! In addition to teaching yoga, Morgan also works as a rec center coordinator, leading a group of 30 student-employee exercise class instructors! After her experience as on our Alps Explorer trip in high school, Morgan is beyond excited to be joining the Apogee leader community this summer. She cannot wait to spend time in both Maine and the Virgin island, exploring new places with Ky and their students!