Students are mentored by experienced, caring outdoor instructors and each small group is supported by a therapist. At Explorations, we prioritize students emotional and physical safety and allow them to explore self-imposed limitations hands-on through adventure activities and individual and group therapy.
- Leadership Team
- Clinical Team
- Clinical Support
- Residential Staff
- Outdoor Staff
- Logistic & Administrative
Leadership Team
Penny James
Owner & Executive Director
Penny James co-founded Explorations in 1989 as a small program that is committed to offering quality, individualized offerings. Penny holds a B.S. in Secondary Education from Nebraska Wesleyan University and has over 25 years experience working with young people in non-traditional learning environments.
Prior to establishing Explorations, her career experiences include working with developmentally disabled individuals in community-based environments and GED instruction for mentally ill students. She taught learning disabled and gifted students while an outdoor counselor, and initiated a volunteer program for adjudicated youth that assisted children in her community's Special Olympics.
Penny has served on the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) Board of Directors for 8 years (2000-2004, 2005-2009) as a representative voice for small programs. She served on the NATSAP Executive Committee for two years, Conference Chair in 2003 and 2009, Public Relations Chair 2008, and chaired a Small Programs Standards Committee in 2007. Penny has advocated for registration and licensure of private programs in Montana.
Penny was appointed in 2008 by Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, and confirmed by the state Senate, to serve a 3 year term on the Board of PAARP, the Montana Board of Private Alternative Adolescent Residential or Outdoor Programs. In this role, Penny is designated as the representative for small programs in the state of Montana.
Penny has served as a Trustee on her local school board for 9 years, has been a Girl Scout leader over 10 years and usually spends her free time enjoying her children's extracurricular activities, reading, or being outdoors.
Leona Gollen
Executive Assistant
Leona Gollen came to Explorations when she and her husband moved to Montana from Washington in 2003. The opportunity to join a program that helps young people become responsible and dynamic young adults was, as Leona would say, "an opportunity I just couldn't pass up." Since her arrival at Explorations, Leona has added a distinct order to the usual contained chaos associated with families in need. She does this with compassion, understanding and the commitment to make a difference in the lives of each of ourstudents and their families.
Leona's office management experience ranges from bookkeeping for a locally-owned construction company in Washington to being a Business Systems Specialist for a multi-national industrial corporation. Her trademark skill is the ability to create and implement new systems that simplify and streamline daily office operations.
As the Executive Assistant at Explorations, Leona is responsible for directing the flow of all vital and confidential communication about our students and families. She manages all office operations and serves as the Human Resources representative for our staff members. Leona is often the force that brings together all the moving parts of the organization. Exceptionally organized, genuine, and sincere; Leona is a vital and invaluable member of the Explorations team.
If asked of which accomplishment she is most proud, Leona would simply say, "My family." She is, most importantly, a loving wife, supportive mother of two grown sons, and the doting grandmother to Madison Violette and Brody Robert. Late Breaking News: Leona has a new grandbaby Cole Joseph!!! Congrats!
Outside of family and work, Leona has many hobbies such as: hunting, fishing, reading, and ATV riding in the mountains surrounding her home. After a day at work serving families, you will find Leona on the back deck of her home, visiting with her husband and watching the resident wildlife that live with them on their property.
Larry Culp
Senior Advisor
Larry Culp serves as Senior Advisor for Explorations' offerings. Since the early 1980's Larry has cultivated the use of nature as a restorative tool to access and facilitate emotional growth. He use the outdoors as a therapeutic milieu that allows him to access an enormous contingent of resources to examine and assist in the clarification and resolution of persons in distress.
Larry has an M.S. in Correctional Rehabilitation Counseling from Southern Illinois University. Following graduate school, Larry taught Sociology and Crime and Delinquency at the University of Montana. In 1982, Larry left U of M and began working with troubled youth in various capacities. In 1988 he was one of the founders of Loveland Farms Inc., a residential facility working primarily with adolescent females and their families. He also operated wilderness trips for both adult and adolescent males and females. Larry has spent countless hours in the wilderness, supporting the emotions and emerging changes that inevitably occur within teens when they live with nature. Larry is an authentic and sensitive facilitator in his work with students and families.
Larry is a firm believer in the out-of-doors as a change agent in the lives of the many persons who participate in this type of experience. In 2003 he changed his focus from residential care to working independently with families in need, helping them identify and resolve behaviors leading to a breakdown of the family structure. Larry's approach to assisting persons to understand the dynamics of their behavior comes from an educative perspective in the hopes that dysfunctional behaviors can be replaced with learned responses that have a positive outcome.
2009-2010 Staff. This list is updated periodically with new hires for the field season, and as last year's team moves on.
Clinical Team
Larry Culp
Senior Advisor
Larry Culp serves as Senior Advisor for Explorations' offerings. Since the early 1980's Larry has cultivated the use of nature as a restorative tool to access and facilitate emotional growth. He use the outdoors as a therapeutic milieu that allows him to access an enormous contingent of resources to examine and assist in the clarification and resolution of persons in distress.
Larry has an M.S. in Correctional Rehabilitation Counseling from Southern Illinois University. Following graduate school, Larry taught Sociology and Crime and Delinquency at the University of Montana. In 1982, Larry left U of M and began working with troubled youth in various capacities. In 1988 he was one of the founders of Loveland Farms Inc., a residential facility working primarily with adolescent females and their families. He also operated wilderness trips for both adult and adolescent males and females. Larry has spent countless hours in the wilderness, supporting the emotions and emerging changes that inevitably occur within teens when they live with nature. Larry is an authentic and sensitive facilitator in his work with students and families.
Larry is a firm believer in the out-of-doors as a change agent in the lives of the many persons who participate in this type of experience. In 2003 he changed his focus from residential care to working independently with families in need, helping them identify and resolve behaviors leading to a breakdown of the family structure. Larry's approach to assisting persons to understand the dynamics of their behavior comes from an educative perspective in the hopes that dysfunctional behaviors can be replaced with learned responses that have a positive outcome.
Stephanie Bodden, LCSW
Summer Therapist
Stephanie Bodden has several years experience working with youth in various capacities. While earning her Bachelor's degree in Social Work from Lewis-Clark State College, she worked with developmentally disabled and mentally ill children at a developmental disabilities agency. She also completed an internship through the college's Pi'amkinwaas American Indian Center for Educational Excellence (AICEE). At AICEE, Stephanie served as a mentor for students in the college community and developed a deep appreciation for cultural diversity and the impact that heritage and generational effects have on family dynamics. As an adjunct practicum, Stephanie interned for the Nez Perce Tribal Head Start social services with students and their families in their homes, in various early childhood programs, and in the community.
After finishing her BSW, Stephanie became certified as an Intensive Behavioral Intervention (IBI) therapist, specializing in therapy with children on the autistic spectrum who have unique behavioral challenges.
Stephanie graduated with her Master's in Social Work from Boise State University. At her graduate practicum, Stephanie was an intern for a children's mental health team, providing treatment for youth in individual, group, and family therapy. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and served on the Idaho's NASW legislative committee, where she gained experience in legislative and community advocacy. She also was appointed as the BSW and MSW student representative to Lewis-Clark State College's Social Work Advisory Board.
Stephanie is a native Idahoan and looks forward to exploring Montana. She enjoys hunting, fishing, camping, hiking with her dog Kooper, and a variety of other outdoor activities. When not outside or at work, she likes reading, crafting, cooking, and traveling to visit family.
Mark Clark, CDC
Chemical Dependency Counselor
(bio coming soon)
Matthew Geske, LCPC
Summer Therapist
Matthew comes to Explorations this summer as a therapist for the Summer Program. He brings to Explorations his deep love and compassion, both for families that are struggling to raise children in this overly hectic and chaotic society, and for young adults facing temptation and difficulties as they mature. Matthew has a long history of using the natural environment as a place of instruction, healing and restoration from the splintering effects of our overly stimulating and dehumanizing modern society.
He started his outdoor education career as a student at Cornell University and taught backpacking, climbing and winter travel for the school. He also was part of the first wilderness treatment program in the late eighties to do research into the benefits of using outdoor education to intervene in the lives of adjudicated adolescents in Portland, Oregon.
With over twenty years of experience in the human services field, Matthew has worked tirelessly with families and organization to overcome obstacles in their path. For the last ten years he has worked as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in wilderness and residential treatment centers, as well as three years in private practice.
Matthew also brings his experience as a father raising three of his own children, two sons and a daughter, 10, 14 and 19. When he was looking for a new position he was drawn to Explorations by its long history of serving youth, the professional staff and the sense of family that they cultivate.
Clinical Support
Sarah Mack
Parent Coach, Transition Specialist
Sarah Mack has worked in the adolescent treatment realm for more than 16 years. She is the founder of Oregon Transition Homes, and worked in one of the country's premier clinical wilderness treatment programs for more than a decade. She also has provided in-home mental health and case management services to high-risk families and has experience working with families dealing with substance abuse issues. Sarah is certified as a Parent Coach and graduated with honors from Linfield College with a degree in Psychology and Sociology. She has advanced training in substance abuse treatment.
Sarah's coaching empowers parents to shift family dynamics, which often are strained after years of dealing with a struggling adolescent, and to create long-term change. Her coaching helps parents set systems in place that restore harmony to the family. Sarah has vast experience working with families challenged with a teenager who is pushing boundaries, making poor choices, and creating chaos in the family. One of the most rewarding and challenging aspects of Sarah's work with families is to help them prepare for their child's successful transition back home from a treatment program, as well as supporting them while their child is in treatment. Her approach to coaching puts parents at ease, and her insight and expertise allow her quickly to assess family dynamics and assist parents in setting and obtaining goals that will restore balance in the family.
Sarah's greatest passion is being a parent to two sons, ages 3 and 17. Sarah is active on the public relations and conference planning committees for the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs. In her spare time she enjoys traveling, spending time on the coast with her family, and working in her garden.
Dr. Todd Corelli, PhD.
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Todd Corelli serves as a consulting Clinical Psychologist for Explorations and administers psychological and educational evaluations for our students. Dr. Corelli received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Brigham Young University and completed a one year residency in Pediatric Psychology at Michigan State University Medical School. He has extensive experience working with children, adolescents, and families in both community-based treatment settings and through his private practice and spending years with students in outdoor wilderness settings. His self-stated passion is working with families.
For the past eight years, Dr. Corelli has worked across the country as an independent consultant for referring professionals, clinicians, therapeutic wilderness programs, and adolescent residential treatment centers. In addition to consulting, Todd administers psychological and educational evaluations with children and adolescents to clarify their psychological functioning and possible learning difficulties.
Todd's ability to connect with adolescents and young adults is central and he believes in utilizing the outdoors and integrating that 'classroom' into his clinical work. He states, "The wilderness is the only place I know where you can have such a significant impact in such a short amount of time."
Todd has been married for 19 years to his best friend, Valerie, and they have four wonderful children, ages 3-15. When Todd isn't in the field with teens, he loves to travel, read, golf and spend time with his family. He speaks Chinese near fluently, is a basketball aficionado and loves to write. Todd brings to Explorations his dedication to the concept of family, a desire to see the innate strengths of each child, and the clinical experience to support the transitions of each family with whom he works.
Franny Gryl
Family Weekend Facilitator
and Family Systems Educator
Franny Gryl is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and has been working with adolescents and their families for over thirty years. She started out as an outdoor instructor, moved to teaching Science, and now works as a therapist. She is a trained Family Therapist and holds a Master's Degree from Virginia Tech (1988) and an Ed. S. from the University of Montana (1996).
Over the past 20 years she has worked in a variety of settings, including therapeutic wilderness programs, group homes, social service agencies, a college counseling center and most recently in private practice. As an Outward Bound Instructor and 10 year river guide on Idaho's remote and exciting whitewater, she has a keen understanding of the capacity for wild places to transform and mend the human spirit.
Franny loves the freshness and excitement that comes from working with teenagers. Her warm, nurturing style makes for an easy connection with young people and her years of experience bring hope, encouragement and new skills to family members.
Jessica Murray
Curriculum Development
Jessica Murray grew up in a small town outside of New York City. She completed two undergraduate degrees: a BA in Human Development and a BS in Psychology at Boston College. Jessica worked in Yellowstone National Park during her college summers and knew in her heart that she would return to the west after graduation. She moved to a small town in Montana and eventually landed in Missoula.
Jessica completed an outdoor EMT training in Crested Butte Colorado and was hired by Explorations as a field instructor. She met her future husband while working for Explorations and together they led trips for over three years. Jessica returned to academia to pursue to a graduate degree in Social Work in 1998, graduating in March 2000.
Taking a leave of absence from mental health work, Jessica returned home to assist with her mother's bakery business while she underwent intensive cancer treatments. Upon her return, she returned to work as a therapist for Explorations. Jessica's first pregnancy stoked her desire to lay down roots in the Missoula community, so she pursued a career working with the public school district as a licensed mental health therapist specializing in child, adolescent and family therapy.
Jessica currently works in Missoula as an adjunct professor and faculty field practicum supervisor for Walla Walla University. Jessica enjoys her collaboration with the Explorations team whenever the opportunity arises. She is married and a mother of two children and has a dog, named Doug.
Residential Staff
Bob Helvey is the BaseCamp and Logistical Coordinator during our Summer Programs and also serves as a Residential Counselor for our HomeBase program. Bob is a self-motivated, hard working mentor for the students and is skilled in all aspects of program operations. He heads the vocational skills instruction, specializing in auto body repair, auto mechanics, auto painting and detailing, welding, and the heavy equipment operation. Bob teaches students the good old-fashioned "how-to" ethics of hard work. More importantly, Bob instills a sense of accomplishment and pride in each student with whom he works through the lesson of a job well-done. He supports the logistical operations of the busy summer months by working hands-on with Field Instructors, students and their visiting parents and also ensuring the gear, transportation and support needs of each group are met. Bob works in tandem with other adult Mentors during the school year to teach life and family living skills. An accomplished cook and carpenter, "Dad" engages students and their families in all aspects of family life. It is not uncommon to see Bob cook the evening meal side-by-side with a student, teach another how to repair something, and sit in on a group therapy session--all in one day! Bob and his wife of nearly 30 years raised 5 children and shared their home with dozens more. He has been a church group youth leader for 8 years and a member of the Knights of Columbus. He served on the local school Board for 8 years (serving as Vice-Chair for 5), and was a proponent of bringing "Love & Logic"--a respected discipline curriculum--to the district and rigorously supported training the faculty to implement it school-wide. Bob enjoys hunting, fishing, woodworking and gardening and is expecting his first grandchild this summer! |
Bob Helvey |
(bio coming soon)
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Harvey Carlsmith |
Emily Thelen graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS). She has held a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Certification since 2006. Emily has over 500 wilderness field days, over 400 of which have been spent in wilderness therapy programs working directly with adolescent men and women, families, and young adult men. She was the lead in settings ranging from the four seasons of the Northwoods of Minnesota, the deserts of Utah, the mountains and rivers of Montana, and southern Australia. The healing power of nature continues to run deep in her life, fueling her desire to share what has healed her with others. Working in Explorations' Residential Program has reinforced the passion Emily has for mentoring youth whose journey begins with a wilderness experience. It has been rewarding, energizing, and challenging for her to be a part of this stage of a student's growth and journey. Emily enjoys the freedom and flexibility the Explorations Program allows her to best utilize her creative skills and meet the needs of the clients she works with--whether that's running a summer trek, planning purposeful experiential activities for families/students, or being 'big sister' in the residential family. aIt has been quite the journey for her! Emily's passion and curiosity about the world is satisfied by indulging herself in around-the-world travel, adventures, and exploring during her time off. She enjoys photography, canoeing, good company, being active, making the world a better place, and living purposefully. Emily plans to attend a Masters degree program at Naropa University in the fall of 2010 to become a wilderness therapist. |
Emily Thelen |
(bio coming soon)
|
Ron Dodge |
Outdoor Staff
Harlan Hayes is a returning instructor at Explorations, and has been affiliated with Explorations for ten years, first as a student, and then as field guide for five summers with the Big Sky Summer program. In June of 2000, Harlan moved to Montana: "Living in Montana helped me develop a passion for myself, for nature, and for all the activities I was capable of completing." Today Harlan describes himself: "[as having] much love and appreciation for the tools wilderness therapy has given me. As a field coordinator, I hope to provide our field guides and students with the tools they need to make each day this summer as meaningful as it can be." Harlan studied Intercultural Communications at Santa Monica College where recently he received an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts. Environmental sustainability is an issue that Harlan is greatly interested in. He continues to educate himself about sustainability in an effort to impact our planet in a positive way. For more than 10 years, Harlan has been an avid rock climber and has instructed many rope-safety courses in climbing gyms both near Chicago and Los Angeles. He is a Wilderness First Responder, and has been involved professionally with wilderness therapy since 2003. During his free time, Harlan has this to say: "I climb and sit and walk and swim. I like strumming the guitar and I like to whistle. I enjoy basketball, ping pong, frisbee, soccer, bowling, golf, hacky-sack, horse shoes, and shuffle board. My dog is great fun to walk and play fetch with. I also like painting, arts and crafts, and building things." He also has become an amateur high-wire walker and provides a unique tight-rope walking service called Slacklining, which is a more stretchy form of tight-rope that allows elderly people and youth to develop a deep awareness of muscle movement. |
Harlan Hayes |
Mick Stemborski has worked with numerous school groups around the world, in locations including Peru, Ecuador, Nepal, Maui, Bolivia and Indonesia. His greatest passions, however, connect with the people and landscape of the Andes Mountains in Peru. Mick and Wilbert Yucra, a Quechan descendent, have provided cultural immersion experiences for student travelers since 2003. Wilbert provides his family's traditional hacienda in Urubamba (the Sacred Valley) outside of Cusco Peru, as a base for their excursions and place to teach students. Mick holds the following credentials & certifications:
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Mick Stemborski |
Lauren Veverka returns to Explorations this summer as a Lead Field Instructor. She has led backpacking, biking and water travel trips with participants of all ages and with many different goals–leadership training, teaching environmental science, or just for the sake of adventure and community building. Lauren's favorite aspects to teach for wilderness travel and living are "hard" skills: shelter building, cooking, map & compass–everything we do to feel comfortable and oriented outside of civilization. She enjoys giving people the tools by which to live well in the woods and believes this translates to a sense of independence and capability in all contexts. Lauren currently is working toward a bachelor's degree in Science and Technology Studies at Brown University. While at college, Lauren facilitated and coordinated a semester-long workshop on women's issues and empowerment. She is fluent in Mandarin, which has yet to come in handy on the trail. |
Lauren Veverka |
Kjerstin Gurda recently moved to Missoula, and is happy as a clam to be in Montana's beautiful landscape and call it home. Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Kjerstin went to Macalester College in Minnesota for her undergrad degree in Cultural Anthropology, and soon after embarked on a career of working with youth in many different settings. She worked as a guide and wilderness instructor at a wilderness therapy program in Pennsylvania for many seasons. After that she worked with alternative middle school programs, and taught at an alternative high school for two years. Then she and her husband took off and traveled the world for a year, visiting Costa Rica, New Zealand, India, Nepal, China, and Southeast Asia. She also has worked for many years as a doula (childbirth assistant) for inner-city teen mamas. During the school year, Kjerstin works as a Youth Development Coordinator in a Missoula high school Flagship Program on out-of-the-classroom programs and activities. She has a passion for engaging with young folks - especially those who are in transition or in the middle of personal struggle - and is thrilled to return this summer to her favorite setting for youth work: the wilderness. Kjerstin has accomplished a lot of work with teen girls, from developing and implementing female empowerment curriculum to leading retreats. She believes the opportunity to help young women discover their own power and wisdom is awe-inspiring. Her great loves in this life, aside from youth work and the outdoors, are varied: an avid backpacker; rock climber; swimmer; runner; aspiring banjo player; cook; reader; and gardener. She likes to mix it up and interact with people and her environment as much as possible. |
Kjerstin Gurda |
Daniel Doty is a wilderness guide temporarily transplanted into the city who now lives on the Upper West Side in New York City, where he runs a private mentoring and coaching service for adolescent males. Daniel recently taught and mentored for The Gateway School and Princeton University. He holds a B.A. in Literature and Philosophy from the University of Minnesota and a M.S. in English from Pace in NYC--which he earned as a New York City Teaching Fellow. He taught at an amazing high school in the Bronx for two years with a focus on using the city as a giant classroom. Dan has several years experience running therapeutic wilderness trips, much of which was spent with the Minnesota Department of Corrections at Camp Thistledew. He has spent seasons working for private companies in Utah, Northern Minnesota and abroad. He also has taught and tutored in Panama, Ecuador, and Puerto Rico. He has led one-on-one treks, transition programs, and holds a special focus on young adult programs and young men's issues. He has focused much of his career on, and written extensively about masculinity and mentorship. He has written curriculum covering a wide range of topics from emotional literacy to math. He loves his work. Dan is one half of Two Hearted, a musical duo that plays small venues in Brooklyn. He has written a few novels and has a memoir underway. He has a long running love affair with Latin America and is fluent in Spanish. He is pretty much in love with life and wants everyone to feel that way. |
Daniel Doty |
Ryan Marchand is a licensed addictions counselor and has a degree from Prescott College in Adventure and Experiential Education with an emphasis in curriculum design and wilderness leadership. He also has a degree in Psychology and Human Development. Ryan has been working in Wilderness Therapy and Therapeutic boarding schools for 11 years. He has run programs in North Carolina, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Montana, and New York. The love of his life is Cedar, his 14 year-old chocolate lab, a certified therapy dog with whom he has spent 2000 days in the field. Ryan grew up in Missouri and Washington DC, and has traveled to 49 of the 50 states. He is passionate about mountaineering, softball, canoeing and fly-fishing. He currently resides in Missoula Montana. |
Ryan Marchand, LAC |
Raizel Liebowitz was born and raised in Seattle WA, and has a passion for wilderness, yoga, mediation, backpacking, running and adventure. Raizel moved to Prescott Arizona in 2004 to attend Prescott College and graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Social Justice Education with a minor in Visual Arts. After graduating from Prescott College she worked with at-risk teenage girls at Spring Ridge Academy, a therapeutic boarding school in Arizona. She realized there that she had a passion for teaching and working with youth, especially those that are struggling. Raizel has facilitated and taught diverse youth groups from varied financial, racial and social backgrounds. She also worked at Camp Manito Wish in northern Minnesota in the leadership department, facilitating backpacking trips and teaching leadership skills. Raizel returned recently from Southeast Asia, touring throughout Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand and studying meditation and yoga. She traveled solo, which helped her to see what kind of leader, decision maker and person she is. She experienced confidence with her decisions, enjoyed trying new things, and explored new ideas. She has practiced Yoga since the age of twelve and is focused on studying different forms of mediation. During her time at Prescott College she received her yoga teacher training certification from Mt. Madonna and taught at a Youth Shelter in Prescott Arizona. Raizel also is a certified WFR. |
Raizel Liebowitz |
Martin Knight was born and raised in SE Michigan. His passion for the outdoors began as a student at a therapeutic wilderness program in Northern Idaho. His passion, love, and appreciation for wilderness has grown out of that experience. He has lived throughout the west since then--recreating, working, and enjoying everything the natural landscape has to offer. Much of what drives Martin to work in experiential education wilderness programs is giving back to youth the opportunity that he had as a student in the wilderness. Martin has resided in Montana for the past 10 yrs. After he graduated from Montana State University with a B.S. in Physical Geography, he found himself working as a Planner for the City of Bozeman for 3 years. His yearning to pursue other avenues and interests led him to step away from that position and get back to work in the wilderness. Since then, he has held a variety of positions, including working for a therapeutic wilderness program, ski patrolling at Big Sky Resort in Montana, and guiding local adventure scout groups. Martin's wilderness resume includes: a NOLS Mountaineering Educator Course graduate; 2 years as an Americorp member; 6 years of Ski Patrolling at Big Sky Resort; 6 years as a Nationally and State registered EMT-B and CPR certified; and a variety of guiding and field instructing positions throughout Montana. Currently, Martin resides in Missoula, Montana with his wife and their 2 dogs. In their spare time, you can find them skiing as much and as often as possible--and when no skiing is available he pursues biking, hiking, and mountaineering adventures. He will begin working towards his Masters Degree in Community and Environmental Planning next fall at the University of Montana. |
Martin Knight |
Shawn Helvey is a University of New Mexico student currently working on his graduate degree in Occupational Therapy. After spending his early college years traveling, both domestically and abroad, Shawn decided to use the skills he learned through experiencing different people and cultures in a familiar and passionate setting: working with youth. In the summer of '08, Shawn became a valuable addition to the Explorations family where he spent his time getting experience using the very positive and effective wilderness environment to life-coach misguided youth. Now, after two more years of self discovery and goal setting, he has returned and continues to gain insight in the field and to be a part of something he loves! |
Shawn Helvey |
Rebecca Eldridge was raised on the seacoast of New Hampshire. She spent a lot of time on track teams, enjoying her family and being with her friends. She went to the University of New Hampshire to become a history teacher but decided that she valued other aspects of life more than history. She went back to the University of New Hampshire to receive her degree in outdoor education in order to explore a less traditional form of education. She appreciates the variety of ways an outdoor experience can impact people. Rebecca enjoys watching people learn about themselves and their companions while working with adolescence on the trail and on the track. Becca still spends time running, enjoying her family and being with friends. She likes to bake and has been working hard on the perfect chocolate chip banana bread. |
Rebecca Eldridge |
Elana Brechner was born and raised in a small town north of New York City. She spent a lot of time outdoors during her youth climbing trees, swimming, running around, and wandering through the woods behind her house. Elana started playing soccer when she was seven and continued until she graduated from high school. She also was a referee for local youth soccer games, and skied for two seasons with her high school team. After completing high school, Elana started college at Mount Holyoke in Massachusetts, studying Psychology. By the end of her first year of college, Elana was a state certified Emergency Medical Technician. That summer she became a member of her town's fire department as a volunteer EMT and also worked as a camp counselor with an older girls group. She will be taking a wilderness medicine course this spring and will be joining Explorations as a newly certified Wilderness EMT! Elana had such a positive experience when she was a student in a wilderness program that when it came time to leave, she didn't want to. Elana knew she wanted to return to an environment where interactions with nature helps people realize their strengths and develop confidence. Therefore, she is very excited to be spending her summer in Montana and working with the students and staff at Explorations. Elana's favorite ways of relaxing include reading, listening to music, frequenting coffee shops, playing flute, and spending time with friends. She enjoys traveling, meeting new people, and learning about different cultures. |
Elana Brechner |
Reuben Cousin currently lives in Salt Lake City, where he attends the University of Utah. He will receive his bachelors of science in psychology next December. He originally moved to Utah to work at a wilderness program and became so passionate that he decided to become a therapist. Snowbird Ski resort had kept Reuben in Utah as skiing and Telemark skiing has become a huge pastime of his. Reuben has been a ski instructor at Snowbird since February 2009, and teaches kids as young as 3 to 14 years old, and occasionally adult lessons too. He plans to return there this fall for another season. Reuben was first introduced to a wilderness program when he attended a small outdoor emotional growth boarding school in northwest Montana. It was there where he truly discovered who he was and what he wanted to do with his life, and found the tools and direction to live life to the fullest. He also discovered that he loved the outdoors and has been enjoying many activities like skiing, rock climbing, white water rafting, mountaineering, mountain biking, slot canyoneering and rappelling and much more, ever since then. Reuben has completed his Wilderness First Responder course and is very excited about spreading his love for the outdoors, being a positive mentor, and helping provide a safe trip for the students who will attend Explorations Montana this year. |
Reuben Cousins |
Logistics & Administrative
(Bio Coming Soon)
|
Tracey Dean |
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|
Jeff Kenny |
This article was updated on: Aug 19, 2010
