Meet the Staff
Outdoor Wellness Leaders (OWLs) are a team of students overseen by a Program Manager, who work to create, organize, promote, and implement OW trips and programs for the student body at UWB. OWls are trained in CPR/First Aid, Wilderness First Aid, group facilitation, outdoor skills, risk management, outdoor equipment literacy and a variety of other skills that allow them to effectively plan and lead programs and manage the day to day operations of the Nest Gear Shop.
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.
Meet the 2025-2026 Outdoor Wellness Staff!
Nishka (She/Her) – OWL
Nishka is a second 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.
Alex (He/Him) – OWL
Alex is a Junior at Cascadia Community College pursuing my bachelors in Biochemistry. He loves nature and learning, and working as an OWL is a great way to pursue both!
Chris (He/Him) – OWL
Hi, I’m Chris! I’m a second-year OWL and a Junior at UWB pursuing a Business degree. I love anything outdoors, especially rock climbing, skiing, and hiking. I also love anything high adrenaline, like skydiving and bungee jumping. I have experience as a rock-climbing coach, and I love to give tips and tricks on anything climbing or skiing related. Feel free to drop by the Nest and ask me any questions you might have.
Destiny (She/Her) – OWL
Destiny is from Hampton, VA, and is a CSSE student in her senior year. Her favorite activities are rock climbing, hiking, skating, and puzzles. She also really enjoys baking, so if you come to her with ideas she will bake them for sure!
Jacob (He/Him) – OWL
Jacob is a transfer student pursuing a CSSE bachelors degree at UWB to become a technical artist. His favorite part of being outdoors is discovering and learning about new flora, fauna, and fungi. He also enjoys high-intensity sports such as rock climbing, skateboarding, and snowboarding. He is always happy to stop and chat about interesting topics, or just lend a helping hand when needed!
Kaitlyn (She/Her) – OWL
Kaitlyn is a first year OWL and a junior studying Health Studies at UWB. She’s down for a fun hike, especially if it means getting to hang out with new people and share some tasty snacks! Lately, she’s been getting into rock climbing and can’t wait to try more outdoor adventures this year.
Parisa (She/Her) – OWL
I’m majoring in Data Visualization with a minor in CSSE at UWB! In my free time, I enjoy reading fantasy novels, playing video games and spending time with my kitties. I’m new to gaming but I decided to build a PC for the aesthetics, so now I’m obligated to use it. Currently I’m on my first play through of the Witcher. I’m new to the outdoors but I love being in nature, and I’m excited to learn and practice my outdoor skills with you all!
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?
Look out for applications for the 2026-2027 school year in early Spring Quarter of 2026!