WAmbassadors

Meet the WAmbassadors!
Virginia Callen
She/her/hers
A junior from Tennessee. Last year, she went with us to Southeast Alaska and this summer, she will attempt to summit the Grand on our Grand Teton adventure! One of her favorite parts of her WA trip was the friendships she formed. Her entire 10 person group would cram into a 3 person tent at the end of the day, talking and laughing together. She wants all new WA students to know: “You are more capable than you think. The best adventures happen when you step outside your comfort zone and try something you never thought you could do.”

Bea Hardacre
She/her/hers
She is a sophomore from Ohio. This summer will be Bea’s 4th summer with WA! She has been to Yellowstone, Oregon and California with us and this summer is heading up to Alaska for our Alaska High Trails program. With all her years of experience, she knows exactly what to pack to make her trip extra special. Some of these items include: a hammock (a necessity!), a journal, card games, a buff and sacred socks (these stay at the bottom of your sleeping bag ALWAYS so you’ll never have to go without warm and dry socks). Bea is a chair on her school’s diversity council. She is passionate about creating a more equitable world. She is hoping to combine this passion with her love for the outdoors and create opportunities for WA to become even more inclusive!

Sarah Heller
She/her/hers
A junior from New York. Last summer she climbed up Grand Teton with us, and this summer is embarking on her dream trip, the Great Northwest! Of all the exciting activities, like climbing, backpacking and white water rafting, her favorite moments were hanging at base camp after a rewarding day. There is nothing better than playing cards, cooking a meal (backcountry fajitas are her fave!) or just talking with all the new friends she made. She encourages every student to go into the trip with a positive mindset and embrace the challenge of being without technology! Everyone on the trip is going through similar challenges, and getting through them together will only make your friendships stronger.

Evie Bartlett
She/her/hers
She is a freshman from Tennessee. Evie has been on our Oregon Cascades Explorer and Yellowstone Teton Discovery trips! This summer she is heading back to the West Coast for our High Sierra program. Her favorite memory was laying out with two of her friends, watching the stars! Being from cities, they were mesmerized by the amount of stars in the night sky. She wants new students to not be afraid to challenge themselves. “This is your chance to climb a real rock wall, hike a mountain, swim through a river rapid, and make a best friend from across the country.”

Learn From Their Experiences!
Our WAmbassadors are experts on how to have an amazing and memorable Wilderness Adventures trip! Read their blog posts to learn all the insider tips and tricks and how best to prepare for your adventure with us.