Each year we are so lucky to have a crew of intelligent and hardworking Naturalist Interns arrive on campus, every one of whom brings a unique background, areas of expertise, and personality! Though it never gets easier when it comes time to say goodbye, it is easier knowing they are off to greener pastures. If you are curious as to where your favorite instructor from the 2017-2018 school year is now, or maybe you want to know where an internship at SOS can land you, continue below!
Andie Conlon:
A graduate of Santa Clara University with a degree in Wildlife Biology, Lupine traveled abroad to South Africa during her junior year to study safari animals, husbandry, and park management. During this time, she became particularly interested in elephants. It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows her that after SOS, Andie has accepted a position at Wildlife Safari in Oregon, focused on elephant husbandry, enrichment, and interpretation! We look forward to hearing some more about her adventures in Oregon, and seeing many photos of elephants of course!
Clayton Lenz:
Delta found his very own land of plenty in Boise Idaho. An avid outdoorsman, Clayton is passionate about every opportunity to recreate outdoors whether it is skateboarding, surfing,snowboarding, or hiking! Delta is excited to take a step back from the grind and enjoy his beautiful and exciting new home working at a ski and snowboarding resort. We know that anywhere there is adventure is the perfect place for him!
Emily Van Wagoner:
If you have ever watched one of Ember’s classes, it is immediately apparent what a natural teacher she is! Having served for Americorps as a community garden educator for youth in Washington State, Emily is excited to return to Seattle, enrolled in a graduate degree program at Seattle Pacific University, to earn her Masters in teaching and become a classroom teacher. Ember’s students will certainly be likely to learn from such a talented and passionate person, we know she will have an insurmountable impact on her students’ lives!
Emma Woodworth:
Willow arrived at Sierra Outdoor School last fall with fabulous stories and experience from guiding various expeditions for youth in Minnesota, Utah, and Idaho. Our bonafide backpacker, Emma is returning to Idaho to work for a rafting company, providing recreational activities and interpretation to children on rafting expeditions. In the fall, she will remain in Idaho, attending university for a Masters of Natural Resources with an emphasis in Environmental and Science Communication! We look forward to more tales from the trail from Willow.
Haley Pogonowski
Upon meeting Haley, the first words out of her mouth probably have something to do with her adorable dog, or that she is from Lake George, New York. Haley attended the University of Albany, majoring in Accounting. However, her true passion lay in her education minor. Giving back to her beloved community is now her job, as Haley was recently hired as Lake George Teen Center’s first ever director. Haley’s vision for the center is to provide a fun and safe place for students to hang out after school. The center provides unstructured time to play ping-pong, Wii, or talk to friends, as well as organizing off-site field trips every week. In addition to Haley’s new job, she is expecting her first daughter with fiancé Mike! We are excited for Haley and her family’s bright future.
Marie Soderbergh:
Dipper brought to SOS a deep and rooted passion for all things avian! It seemed like every week Marie had a new birding experience to share, and was always out on the trail carefully listening to calls, binoculars in tow. A native Californian, Marie has decided to migrate far from home, to beautiful Vermont! Working for the Vermont Institute of Natural Science as an Environmental Educator, Marie looks forward to providing raptor education programs to youth and the general public of New England. We certainly will miss having her around our own raptor center, where she spearheaded a project to build new perches in our Great Horned Owl mew. We know she will bring the same work ethic and passion to the birds out East!
Raquel MacSwain:
Rocky is a firm believer in the healing and positive powers of time spent in nature. This year, Raquel will be attending Lewis and Clark College, participating in a graduate program for School Counseling, in Portland Oregon. Raquel is looking forward to exploring Portland’s many coffee shops, and bringing an element of Ecopsychology to her future students.
Sarah Johanson:
Sarah is no stranger to animal care, prior to Sierra Outdoor School having worked with raptors as well as dolphins providing interpretation, and husbandry. In the fall, Sarah will be attending West Liberty University in West Virginia, pursuing her Masters in Zoo Science. We look forward to more adorable owl selfies and are interested to know all the species Sorel will be working with, as well as tales from her summer as a Program Director at Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan Scout Reservation in Pearson WI!
Scott Maas:
Post SOS, Scott heads East! Newt has accepted a position with The Great Smoky Mountain Institute at Fremont, as a Teacher-Naturalist, where he previously worked in 2016 as an intern. He will work with students in grades K-12 in experiential science learning in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In addition, Scott will be able to share all he has learned as an educator with other teachers, showing them how to incorporate experiential and environmental education in their classrooms. Most importantly, “Newt” will go find salamanders with his new students. We can’t wait to see all the herping pics!
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