A true 'Yooper' at heart, Jesse grew up in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan. She spent most of her childhood outside exploring, camping often with the Girl Scouts and family/friend backpacking trips. Later, in college, Jesse worked two summers as a special needs camp counselor and fell in love with helping others experience the magic of nature.
Just this past May (2011), Jesse graduated from Ripon College, a private liberal arts school in rural Wisconsin, with degrees in Anthropology and Psychology. Her involvement and leadership in campus organizations such as Amnesty International, the Ripon Outdoor Club, and Psi Chi, the Honor Society in Psychology, have sprouted Jesse's passions for human rights, awareness and understanding of diverse peoples, and environmental activism. She plans to hone her leadership and outdoor skills in her time with the SCA in preparation for graduate school and a career centered around service.
In her spare time, Jesse enjoys reading, cliff-diving into Lake Superior, baking, music, running, cross-country skiing, watching films, and hiking in the U.P. woods with her dog Forrest. She is jazzed to be embarking on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of working and living on the Pacific Crest Trail for the next six months.
