[Fanfare]: More leader bios! Whether you’re lounging outside soaking up some (much awaited) spring sunshine or sitting in your office sipping that afternoon cup of coffee or tea, we hope you treat yourself to a look through this next batch of leader bios (they’re pretty sweet)! And heck, why not enjoy a batch of your favorite cookies, too, while you’re at it? It’s that kind of Tuesday! #treatyoself

Taylor Wurts – Cape Cod & the Islands

We’re excited to have the pride of Concord, Massachusetts, Taylor Wurts, join the Apogee team this summer. Taylor comes to us from Tufts University, where he is a rising junior studying International Relations and Economics. An avid explorer, Taylor grew up backpacking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire; before his senior year of high school, Taylor embarked on a cross-country “college tour” trip with his twin brother, on which they explored Yosemite, Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Arches National Parks. An elite cross-country athlete in both High School and College, Taylor didn’t let his six-week road trip take away from his training. What’s more, he has now gone for a run in 39 out of 50 states! In addition to exploring in the outdoors, Taylor has a passion for working with students – he has spent the past two summers as a swim instructor at Meadowbrook Day Camp in Massachusetts, working with kids between the ages of four and twelve. Further, Taylor doesn’t let his college workload interfere with his desire to work with kids: he currently volunteers with Big Brothers/ Big Sisters, mentoring students at a local school. We know Taylor can’t wait to show his Apogee students the magic that his own home state has to offer on our Cape Cod & the Islands trip this summer!

Amelia Green – Cape Cod & the Islands

Amelia Green grew up in Charleston, South Carolina with her parents, two siblings, and her grandparents, who live across the street! Her grandfather introduced her to fishing and kayaking at a young age, kindling the fire of an outdoor enthusiast that is still burning strong! A rising junior at Wake Forest University, Amelia has led wilderness pre-orientation trips for incoming freshmen in the beautiful wilderness of western North Carolina. Trip leading is certainly not a new line of business for Amelia, as she also led a trip to the Nantahala Outdoor Center in North Carolina for incoming high school freshmen when she was a senior in high school! When she’s not leading students in the outdoors, she can be found working with them in the classroom. Amelia volunteers at an elementary school near Wake Forest, where she works in a Spanish-speaking classroom to help first-graders develop reading skills. We’re delighted to have Amelia’s wide variety of outdoor skills with us this summer, and we know she can’t wait to get to know her Apogee students as they bike their way along Cape Cod & the Islands!

Michael Scarlett – New England Mountains & Coast, Maine Coast Junior

When he’s not in the library working towards his Urban Studies major or Economics minor, Michael Scarlett can be found running far beyond the reaches of the Vassar College campus. A senior captain of the Cross Country & Track team, Michael has covered countless miles afoot not just while running, but also backpacking for weeks along the Long Trail, in the White Mountains, and even through the French Alps (where he put his French skills to good use!). After graduating high school in his hometown of Cambridge, MA, Michael spent seven weeks backpacking through Europe – from Budapest to Barcelona to Amsterdam. He enjoys seeing new places abroad, and even spent time WWOOFing on a farm in the Midi-Pyrenees, working at a bed and breakfast, and studying in Copenhagen for a semester. Closer to home, Michael has spent his summers gaining valuable skills in a wide variety of areas. He’s worked for the Cambridge Community Development Department as a Youth Manager, where he coordinated 40 high school students hired to help with community outreach, and even interned for Senator Edward Markey in Washington, DC. Nonetheless, Michael’s passion is working with students, and two of his favorite summers were spent working at youth camps, overseeing cabin life and teaching swimming and tennis. If you’re touring Vassar’s campus, you might get a chance to have Michael as your guide, but we can’t wait to have him guide our New England Mountains & Coast and Maine Coast Junior trips this summer!

Katherine Doyle – New England Mountains & Coast, Maine Coast Junior

Katherine Doyle’s love of the outdoors started early, and her community service and field studies learning programs in New Mexico and Costa Rica as a teenager only furthered it. The youngest of four (alongside her twin brother), Katherine grew up in a very active family – from playing endless baseball and lacrosse games in her hometown of Vienna, VA, to traveling to far-flung locations like Italy and Ireland. Now a senior at Bucknell, Katherine has centered her academics around her passion for the environment by majoring in Managing for Sustainability and minoring in Environmental Studies. As if that doesn’t keep her busy enough, Katherine studied abroad in Barcelona, helps new students adjust to life on campus as an Orientation Leader, and is also the captain of the Varsity lacrosse team. Katherine loves blending her lacrosse skills with her passion for working with kids and has served as the head coach for a 5th grade girls’ lacrosse summer league team and as a counselor at multi-week lacrosse and sports camps throughout her summers. Last summer, Katherine worked at a sustainability consulting firm outside of Philadelphia, partnering with the Business Development and Product Development teams, but she’s excited to get back outside working with kids on our New England Mountains & Coast and Maine Coast Junior trips this summer!