Our Tahoe course is nearing its close and the group is at Sagehen Creek Field Station for their final basecamp! On day 30 of 34, we would like to acknowledge the incredible work of the Tahoe staff team. The team has guided the students on three wilderness expeditions, led them in creative writing exercises, journaling, and poem-crafting, and have been working 24/7 to make sure the students have had a safe, fun, and transformative experience. Thank you, Aurora, Michaela, Rachel, and Raquel, for dedicating your summer to the ARC 34-day Tahoe course.
Aurora Pinkey-Drobnis, Course Director, is an adventurer, avid reader, and passionate educator. She graduated in 2012 from Skidmore College with a degree in Geoscience. After graduating, she worked for five years with a variety of conservation and environmental education organizations throughout the west. She just completed her Masters in Education from University of Montana and has relocated to the Reno area. Aurora is course directing in Tahoe this year and is grateful to work with ARC students to develop leadership, literacy, and outdoor skills in one of the most special mountain ranges on earth. Aurora’s joys include walking long distances in sunshine or snow, weaving baskets, writing letters, and laughing uncontrollably.
Michaela Webb, Co-English Instructor, graduated from the University of Arizona in 2018 where she studied journalism and Spanish. Since then, she has interned at Colorado Outward Bound School and helped teach high school Spanish in Salt Lake City. Michaela grew up backpacking, skiing, running, mountain biking, rafting, and climbing in the wild places of the western US. She still feels a deep connection to these places, and enjoyed introducing the summer 2019 ARC students to some of them. In addition to adventuring outside, Michaela loves to read, write, cook, and eat. Michaela brought her passion for the outdoors and her love of words to her work this summer with students.
Rachel Lightner, Co-English Instructor, joined the ARC team as the community conversations instructor in Tahoe in summer 2018, and is excited to return for another season as the co-English instructor. Graduating from Sierra Nevada College with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in Journalism and Outdoor Adventure Leadership, a program developed by ARC founder Katie Zanto, Rachel found ARC to be transferable with her interdisciplinary degree: a blend of two seemingly different concepts into one fluid education. Rachel believes the outdoors is a space for equality and diversity, and feels a deep passion to provide opportunities for everyone to experience the benefits of nature. An avid backpacker, snowboarder, and traveller, Rachel is always seeking the next best thrill, and we were grateful that she shared her positive light with the students and staff this summer.
Raquel Rangel, Science Instructor, graduated from California State University, Stanislaus with a Bachelor’s in Biological Sciences. She is working on getting her teaching credential in multiple subjects and special education. She has worked with Tuolumne River trust as a Program Manager for an after school outdoor program for middle schoolers. She volunteers with Latino Outdoors by connecting families and youth to nature. Raquel has been working with ARC for four years, started as an intern then shifting to be the Science Instructor. Raquel has had the opportunity to work on all three ARC sites. Raquel enjoys connecting people to the outdoors, identifying flora and fauna, and kayaking on the CA Central Valley Rivers.