My first job out of college was a backpacking instructor in a wilderness therapy program. I’d grown up loving to play in the outdoors, but it was through this lens that I learned to combine the transformational power of challenge and reflection with the outdoors to help others develop their sense of self, create community, and become stewards of our natural world. Through my years in the industry, I have been an Associate Program Director, Course Director, and Lead Instructor at a handful of programs including North Carolina Outward Bound School (NCOBS), where I developed its first-ever LGBTQ+ Affinity Space course. Here at Warren Wilson, I continue to help future outdoor leaders develop their technical skills while encouraging and embracing the unique gifts of underrepresented peoples in the outdoors.