1.

What three personal goals do you want to attain through your participation on the NOLS
Instructor Course?

The three goals that I hope to accomplish during the NOLS Instructor Course are ones that will
further my career in the outdoor industry. I wish to pick up more various outdoor skills in the field. I
have experience in mountaineering, back packing, and rock climbing, but I am always looking forward
to learning more on the technical side. Technical skills like placing trad and ice gear properly, judging
the landscape for better routes of travel and camping, and how to become a more efficient teacher in
the back country.

I also would really like to have the leaders of the IC to help guide me in the right direction
towards becoming a better guide. I was a big fan of constructive criticism on my Patagonia NOLS
course, learning from each of my peers on what I can change to better our experience. With every trip
that a guide leads, they learn more about themselves and how to become a better teacher. And
finally, I would really like the opportunity to work at NOLS, and I feel that this course is one of the more
direct ways to that goal. Although I know that completing the Instructor Course is not an immediate
hire into NOLS, I am feel that I can gain more experience and contacts within NOLS.

2. What will be the easiest aspect of the course for you? The most difficult? What do you
most look forward to? If applicable, please share a fear/ anxiety you have about the IC
with us.

I think that one of the easiest things for me on the course would be meeting all of the
participants. I am very outgoing and very open to constructive criticism, so I feel that I can get along
with a lot of different types of people. Meeting new people is always a lot of fun for me, especially if
we are all are doing something that we love, like being participants on a NOLS course. I think that the
most difficult, and frankly the one thing that is causing me a little anxiety, is getting accepted into the
Instructor Course. For the longest time, I have known that I would like to work for NOLS, and I
understand that I might be a little younger than the target Instructor audience. Having said that, I
have been teaching kids outdoor skills for quite some time, have successfully completed one of the
more difficult NOLS courses, and have only been more motivated to becoming a guide with your
company.

3. Do you want to work for NOLS? How much each year will you be available? Will you be
available to work for NOLS after your IC? What specific dates will you be available in the
summer?

Simply put, I would like to work for NOLS. I will be available to work pretty much whenever
you would want me to. Although I currently have a job with Whole Foods, they are aware of my future
plans to switch industries. As for specific dates doing the summer that I am available, I have no
immediate plans and would be able to assist any course.

4. Prior experience as student or trainee in outdoor education

My freshman year of high school, my family had moved us to England. The school there,
American Community School in Cobham, had the tradition of sending freshman students on a one
week course to an Outward Bounds course in Wales. The course was a good way for students to meet
one another and hopefully make a couple of new friends before the new school year. We spent that
week partaking in various group bonding exercises, leadership building, and an overnight hike to a
cabin. The course did work in creating new bonds with fellow students at a new school. It was also
successful in showing me the career that I wish to pursue, in outdoor recreation.

In the summer of 2004 I was a participant on a month long trip to Namibia, Africa. My high
school in England, American Community School in Cobham, had a tradition of sending a group of
student with two teachers to Namibia, where we would spend thirty days traveling the country. We
spent a week at a local school, building furniture for the library we had previously donated and
teaching basic math and English. We were also able to spend a week traveling through Fish River
Canon, which was a fun back packing trip. The other two weeks we traveled throughout the country, to
various safari parks, over to Victoria Falls in Zambia, and even over to the Atlantic coast.

In January of 2009, I participated the NOLS Patagonia semester. I spent to a month sea
kayaking, a month in the mountains, and a week on the ISGT. For the Student Travel, I was the team
leader and shouldered the reasonability of planning our route and learning the various emergency
procedures. I really enjoyed the NOLS course for a multitude of reasons. It was my first real long trip,
spending almost three months in the back country. It was a small glimpse into a possible future
career, leaving no question in my mind that this is the career for me.

5. Prior experience as employee working in outdoor education.

The only experience I have as an employee in outdoor education is the couple of years I
worked at Fitness Formula Club in Oak Park. At this particular gym, there was a climbing wall build for
the purpose of giving the gym clients a unique work out a pleasant change to lifting weights.
Fortunately the wall is run by climbers, not personal trainers, and has been turning into a more
climbing friendly gym. When I was working as a rock climbing instructor, I would cover the basics such
as teaching individuals how to safety belay on a top rope. As our clients gained for confidence and
strength, I would start teaching them various climbing techniques and body positions, in-door lead
climbing, and outdoor sport climbing. At the end of summer (2009), a fellow co-worker and I created a
high school climbing team. Our team, consisting of fifteen junior high to high school students, would
complete basic work out, climbing technique classes, and were all eventually Lead certified. In the fall
of 2009, to took our students on several outdoor climbing trips, as listen below.

6. Personal expeditions

I have been planning a partaking on numerous person trips since high school. As a Boy Scout,
we would plan a different trip almost every month. While spending two years in England, the Boy
Scouts had access to beautiful back packing trips throughout England and Wales, all usually a
weekend trip. When I was out in Colorado for college, I was a participant in various day and weekend
trips throughout our area of Gunnison. As a freshman, I also got to partake on a trip to the San Jaun
mountains with my school, Western State. It was a student run trip called Wilderness Based
Orientation, where we spent a week backpacking and learning more about our school from our
instructors. While living in Illinois, my friends and I traveled down to Red River Gorge, Kentucky
several times. Our first time down there, we went in September (2009), where we instantly fell in love
with area. We planned a second trip, again, in November (2009). My role in the organization of these
two trips changed both times. The first time I simple worked on who exactly was joining us on the trip.
The second trip I organized the “guest list,” our lodging, food, gear, and transportation. I have also
helped organize a ski trip to Utah for the winter of 2009, going over basic logistics. Since then, I have
planned various trips to Devils Lake, WI, Red River Gorge, KY, and Jackson Falls, TN.

7. Technical Skills

Rock Climbing

I have been climbing since high school, spending plenty of time in a gym setting and a couple
of years climbing outside. I can confidently sport climb up to 5.11 indoors and outdoors. I can also
safely set up a multi-pitch belay while sport climbing. On all of my various trips to Devil’s Lake, WI, I
have set up numerous top rope anchors. Although I have never trad climbed before, I am very
interested in learning.

While on the NOLS Patagonia Course, we spent a month backpacking in the wilderness. We
learned how to place snow and ice protection, passing through protection while on a rope team, and
traveling across glaciers. We also were taught basic skills like traveling on ice and snow, via.
crampons, how to set up a four man rope team to travel across a dry glacier, and general navigational
skills.

In the summer of 2006, I attended a Wilderness Based Orientation for my college, Western
State. We spent a week in the San Juan mountain range, learning various skills in basic rock climbing,
back packing, navigation, and fixed rope climbing. We summated several small peaks throughout the
week.

Sea Kayaking

I participated the NOLS Patagonia course in January 2009, where I spent a month sea kayaking
down the Canal Baker. Over the course of thirty days, we covered roughly 117 nautical miles. We did
one major portage up to a large lake, kayaked across, and portaged down the other side. We kayaked
within viewing distance of Jorge Montt, travelling through small and large icebergs.

Backpacking

I have been backpacking since eighth grade, when I did my first week long trip in Philmont,
New Mexico. Since then, I loved the idea of being self-sustainable and freedom to travel anywhere
without any restraints of support. In high school I went with a group to Namibia, Africa to travel the
country, including a week in the Fish River Canyon. I also help set up various trips in England (My
home at the time) and Wales with friends and boy scouts. In college I participated in an orientation
trip to the San Juan mountain range, spending a week in the field. I organized several various
weekend trips to various locations around my campus, like Hartman’s Rocks and the north east side of
the valley of Gunnison. In January (1/09), I was enrolled in a NOLS Patagonia semester, completing
one month on the mountain section. By the end of the thirty day, my group had covered roughly 130
kilometers and gained over 7500 meters in elevation. We traveled to three different peaks, crossed
one dry glacier, and experience the infamous Patagonia bush whacking. On our Independent Student
Group Trip, I was elected as the group leader. With the help of the NOLS instructors, I planned an
eight day trip in the surrounding foot hills of Cochrane.

8. Other Skills/ Experience

I have a Master Educator Certification with Leave No Trace through my NOLS course. I am a
firm believer and am constantly practicing LNT ethics on the various personal trips I lead and partake
on. In June of 2004, I was awarded with the Eagle Scout rank in Boy Scouts, the highest rank. I have
also completed two years of college at Western State, Colorado. Although I did not graduate from
there, I was majoring in Outdoor Recreation and Psychology. During those two years there, I
completed enough Psychology classes required of a Minor in Psychology and also numerous coursed in
Outdoor Recreation, like Leadership in the Wilderness and Outdoor Skills.

9. Teaching, Leadership and Communication

On my NOLS trip, I was the Student leader for the ISGT trip that we took, organizing the trip
plans, the tentative course we were going to take, the drop off and pick up points, and learning and
demonstrating all of the various safety procedures.

While working at the Fitness Formula Club gym, in Oak Park, I was a Rock Climbing Instructor,
as well as a Climbing Team Coach. While there, I was able to teach a large group of gym members to
properly top rope belay, as well as proper climbing techniques. Was a Coach, I was able to teach a
group of junior and high school kids how to climb properly, how to sport climb, and slowly introduce
them into the climbing community. Also while I was at FFC, I was able to organize two successful
bouldering competitions. As stated earlier, I have also lead a total of four official trips for my climbing
team, two to Devil’s Lake, WI, for some top rope climbing and two to Red River Gorge, KY, for my
team’s first time leading outside.

Since high school, I have taken up various teaching and leadership roles on the various trips I
attended with the Boy Scouts and my school. Usually it was something simple, like basic camping and
back packing skills. Also with the Boy Scouts, I was able to take on several leadership positions and
quickly learned that I know how to delegate jobs and roles to my participants.

10. Risk Management and Judgment

One hazard evaluation that comes to mind was on my NOLS course, in the mountain section.
We were hiking up to a possible summit and came across a sort of glacier crossing. The glacier had an
outcropping section that was only ten feet wide, but had created a river below it. So it was impossible
to cross below it, and we could not to higher up, for the glacier was wider there. We also did not have
any technical gear, for it was getting carried in by horse, a couple days later. So my team and NOLS
instructor sat down and discussed our options. We could chisel footsteps across with our one ice axe
but would be facing possible death or extreme injury. The instructor told us he believed that our skill
level was enough to safely cross but that we had to be aware of the consequences. We all ended up
safely crossing, only to be stopped at the ridge, where a glacier had continued to the summit.

When I was in Colorado, 2006 to 2008, I would frequently bike out to Hartman’s Rocks to
camp, mountain bike and boulder/ free climb. I would usually travel alone, taking only food for the
weekend, just spending time alone to sort of unwind and think. I would constantly be in situations
where I would have to gauge if it was safe for me to continue, weighing the consequences with the
positive experience. Either it would be some steep rocks to bike down or free climbing to a safe limit.
I was never a life and death situation, but more that I was alone with only a cell phone. I have grown
to become a safe individual, but will take many different “leaps” to further my experience, like
climbing my first 5.11 outside or skiing my first double black diamond in Utah. Both times I have was
extremely nervous, but after taking some long breaths, weighing out the consequences to the
experiences, and committing, I preformed beautifully. The 5.11 example, I red lined the route,
completing it without judging it from the ground or taking a break.

One situation where the group made a poor decision that comes to mind was when I was on
the Wilderness Based Orientation in San Juan’s of Colorado. It was the first day on the trail, the most
difficult day because we were hiking the bulk of our elevation gain for the trip. After “lunch” we
decided to split in two separate groups, one with the faster paced individuals and one with the slower
and one instructor in-between the both of them. After about two hours of travel, it had really started
to rain and we had lost sight of the other team, the slower paced on. We discussed and decided with
our instructor that we would stay where we were while the instructor back tracked to the other group.
After another hour of chilling under a temporary shelter we created, our instructor returned to inform
us that the other group had traveled on a different trail to the same destination. Amongst other
things, we learned that if a group is to split up, a very detailed plan of travel should “drawn up” and
that if an individual is to go away from the group, that they should take a “buddy” with them