James Parana
Instructor intern
Originally from Berlin, MD, James joins Adventure Treks for his second season as an instructor intern. As a student, James completed five trips as a student in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Blue Ridge Mountains, and British Columbia, including our Leadership Adventure summer semester program. In high school, he spent a semester with Eagle’s Nest Outdoor Academy, a program that combines the rigor of academics with outdoor adventure learning. At Western Colorado, he worked as a counselor for wrestling camps for kids ages 9–18.
- Education: Western Colorado University, studying mechanical engineering
- Certification: Wilderness first responder
- Favorite outdoor achievement: Summiting Mt. Adams from the base in a morning.
- Favorite outdoor memory: Backpacking along the Olympic peninsula in Washington
- Favorite hobbies: I enjoy hiking, backpacking, canoeing, rock climbing, working out, running, wrestling—basically, I enjoy getting out and being active.
- Favorite place you’ve traveled: Clearwater Lake in British Columbia
- What are you most excited about this summer? I am excited to see how to running everything as an instructor goes along with what my fellow instructors can teach me! I’m also excited to get to know everyone on my trip and making tons of fun memories on our adventures.