Meet the Staff
The OW staff are a team of students made up of O.W.L.S and S.E.A.L.S who work to create, organize, promote, and implement OW trips and programs for the student body at UWB. We recognize the barriers to entry outdoors are lack of education and experience, equipment expenses, transportation requirements and a lack of welcoming or inclusive communities. The OW Program seeks to break these barriers for students through program offerings and the Outdoor Gear Shop. The Outdoor Gear Shop (“Nest”) is a welcoming space that serves as a hub for students to access free outdoor gear rental and general education about trips and services from the OW staff.
Outdoor Wellness Leaders (OWLS): Plan and lead off campus excursions. They are highly trained and hold WFA and CPR/First AID/AED certifications. Some OWLS also specialize in different types of recreation such as climbing, skiing, survival skills and more.
Student Educators and Activities Leaders (SEALS): Help with grassroots marketing efforts for OW on campus, work in the NEST Gear Shop, support OWLs on trips and build out educational components for both on and off campus programs and trips.
Meet the 2024-2025 Outdoor Wellness Staff!
Gabriel (He/Him) – Outdoor Wellness Student Coordinator
Gabriel is a 2nd-year OWL and a senior at Cascadia pursuing a Bachelor of Applied Science in Sustainable Practices. He loves to help others feel welcome and included in outdoor spaces and is looking forward to making fun, shared memories. He hopes to attend grad school next year and pursue further education in terrestrial ecology. Gabriel is excited to share his passion for the outdoors with curious and open-minded individuals! Some of his favorite activities include backpacking, canoeing, trail running, Vipassana meditation, climbing, and skiing.
Nishka (She/Her) – Outdoor Wellness Leader
Nishka is a first year OWL who is studying business administration at UWB. She loves outdoor activities and is excited to create fun experiences for others to participate in! She enjoys many activities such as hiking, skiing, snowboarding and rock climbing.
Alice (She/Her) – Student Education & Activities Leader
Alice is a first-year SEAL of the Outdoor Wellness Team and a second-year Business student at Cascadia College. She loves being in nature and spending time with family and friends. Alice joined the Outdoor Wellness Team to help students get involved in on- and off-campus activities and trips. She also loves cats!
Alex (He/Him) – Student Education & Activities Leader
Alex is a Junior at Cascadia Community College pursuing my bachelors in Biochemistry. He loves nature and learning, and working as a SEAL is a great way to pursue both!
Andrew (He/Him) – SEAL Climbing Specialist
Andrew is a first year SEAL and second year Cascadia student pursuing an Integrated Studies Transfer degree. He is one of the two climbing specialists on the Outdoor Wellness team, with three years of climbing experience. He started climbing with the fruit trees in Southern Vietnam, where he grew up, and was only recently introduced to rocks. Some of his other favorite outdoor activities are snowboarding, archery, camping, and geocaching.
Chris (He/Him) – SEAL Climbing Specialist
Chris is a first year SEAL and a Sophomore at UWB pursuing a Business Administration degree. He plans to go to trade school after graduating to become a lineman. He loves anything outdoors, especially rock climbing, skiing, and hiking. He also loves anything high adrenaline like skydiving and bungee jumping. Chris also has experience as a rock-climbing coach and is eager to give tips and tricks on anything climbing or skiing related. He believes that everyone should have a connection to nature whether its climbing up a massive rock-face or having a picnic in the park.
Rileigh (She/Her) – Program Manager
Rileigh was an Outdoor Wellness Leader for 4 years prior to becoming the Program Manager. She is passionate about acting as a bridge between humans and nature and nurturing peoples love for the outdoors. She believes that everyone has a right to enjoyment, experience, and education in natural spaces and hopes to provide all of the above for her student team and the UWB/CC campus community. Her favorite outdoor activities include climbing, hiking, backpacking, camping, snowboarding, and forest bathing.
Interested in becoming a part of the team?
Outdoor Wellness is hiring for Outdoor Wellness Leaders for the 2025-2026 school year! Cascadia and UW Bothell Students can apply on Interfolio or Handshake starting March 31, 2025. Applications will be accepted through April 30, 2025.