Cassidy “Kassi” K

Originally from Tucson, AZ, Kassi has lived all over the U.S. She’s worked for AmeriCorps in Wisconsin, working on the 675-mile Ice Age National Scenic Trail. She’s also tutored students in math, writing, and behavior management in Hawaii. Before that, she was a division leader at Chestnut Lake Camp in Pennsylvania, and the co-director for Camp Adventure in Tucson. Kassi recently earned a certification as a wildland firefighter.

  • Education: Washington State University, bachelor’s degree in psychology
  • Certifications: Emergency medical technician, wildland firefighting, ropes rescue I
  • Favorite outdoor memory: This is a hard one!!! I’m hoping to create my next favorite outdoor memory this summer! With so many fantastic and story-worthy memories, it’s hard to choose just one. I’ll say one of my favorite outdoor memories is when my whole family would go to Encinitas, CA, and we would camp on the beach. We’d play football and roast marshmallow and play silly games.
  • Favorite outdoor achievement: The first time I ever went on a solo hike. I wasn’t used to doing things on my own, and I got lost a few times. By the time I even made it to the trailhead, I was already four miles deep. My six-mile hike ended up being more than 10 miles long. I wanted to turn back so many times. No one would even know, I was on a solo hike. But I would know. So I didn’t, and that felt really, really good. It was a beautiful moment of perseverance and discipline with a wonderful view at the end!
  • Favorite place you’ve traveled: I’ve travelled to many places but I am going to be cliché and say that my favorite place was
    Kauai, HI. I lived there for a few months with a family through workaway. My partner and I lived there together and truly fell into the “island time” vibe. The island is tiny. You can drive the entire length in an hour and a half. The island was BEAUTIFUL everywhere you looked, surrounded by beaches and waterfalls. We went to the beach every day. It was amazing. I will definitely be going back to Kauai.
  • Favorite hobbies: I enjoy solo hiking with a good audiobook in my ear (I love listening to memoirs and autobiographies!), cooking, camping, self-defense/fitness classes and learning new things. I also enjoy drawing, farming and building miniature house kits!
  • What are you most excited for this summer? I am so excited to meet all the amazing students and instructors!! I know I will learn a ton from each of them.