What inspired you to work for Tidelines Institute?
I grew up on a dirt road and had plenty of time to explore the wild nature around me. I also had a passion for philosophy. When it came time for college, I chose to study classics at a Great Books school.
Studying consumed most of my time while I was in school. Once I graduated, I realized how thirsty I was for more time outdoors. So I took up teaching outdoor ed and had a side hustle of leading seminar-style philosophy classes in my tiny town.
When I found out about Tidelines, a school that integrates rigorous intellectual pursuits with learning how to thrive in the rugged Alaskan landscape, I just knew I had to join them.
One of our executive directors teaches a course on the climate crisis.
What is your favorite part of your job?
What I love about my job is that I can shift from admin tasks to harvesting carrots in the garden to cleaning out the gear shed. This is true for everyone who works here. Our executive directors make community meals and sweep the floor, and our campus director fixes the dryer and maintains our fleet of vehicles. There are a lot of things that need doing here, and I thrive on the dynamic energy that being a member of the community requires.
What advice would you give your pre-travel self?
I would tell myself to bring better rain gear! We live in a true rainforest in Gustavus, and that's something that didn't hit home until I moved here. The locals know that, once autumn comes, if they wait for it to stop raining to get outside, then they'd be waiting until spring. We're lucky to have gorgeous springs and summers, but having the right gear when the season changes is a must!
Fishing in the Icy Straight!
Why should someone choose Tidelines Institute over competitors?
There are so many options when it comes to finding unique travel programs. What sets this program apart is the truly diverse experiences it offers. If you choose to join a cohort, you'll go on an intensive 10-day kayaking trip into Glacier Bay National Park, engage in small seminar-style classes with a range of visiting professors, and travel to our remote island campus. You'll have the chance to get acquainted with the tight-knit Gustavus community. Neighbors might teach you how to carve a spoon, weave a scarf, forge a knife, or track black bears. There's so much opportunity here.
Students learn carpentry during community labor.
What is your organization's mission, and how do you continue to work toward it?
Our mission is to educate a diverse generation of citizens, stewards, and leaders through immersive courses in the communities and wildlands of S’íx’ Tlein (Icy Strait) and Sít’ Eeti Gheeyí (Glacier Bay).
We explore our home through the liberal arts and scientific inquiry, hands-on work and sustainable harvest, community events, hiking and paddling, and honoring Tlingit culture and values.
Discovering lifeways both innovative and ancient, we learn to serve and lead, to heal and connect, and to tackle timeless questions and urgent global challenges.
I've never worked for an organization that pays more attention to its mission statement and allows that crafted statement to steer it on so many levels. From creating recruitment strategies to organizing community labor to planning our 10-day paddle trip into the national park, we keep our mission statement in sight.
Class!
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
I hope that participants leave feeling that they know themselves more and are a member of a community for life. Tidelines asks a lot of you, and it gives even more back to you. I think that these two elements together leave one feeling that they know their self-worth and that they're forever connected to a larger whole that is the Tidelines community.
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
It's not always important for people to travel and experience new cultures. But, for those with a sense of wanderlust, we can't ignore the desire to get out the door and do exactly that. For me, traveling has been important because it's opened my eyes to new ways of conceiving the world and living my life. This change in perspective is vastly important to me.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel means engaging with the place you're traveling through. I've been to many places, but those that stand out most vividly contain the experiences of really diving in. For me, that's trying exotic street foods and meeting locals, hiking that extra mile, and watching the sunrise (even if it's bitterly cold!).
