Bearly Graduated | Fall 2023
Our second and final newsletter of 2023 | written by Owen Averill ('24)
Hello, everyone! I’m Owen, the vice president of GW TRAiLS, and I’m pleased to write to you in our second guide alumni newsletter. If you missed the first, you can view it on our Substack page. As the new year approaches, we wanted to take a step back to highlight TRAiLS’ accomplishments this semester and check in with one of our graduates. Let’s go!
The Trail Guide:
I. Fall 2023 Rundown
II. New Accomplishments
III. Photo Highlights
IV. Leadership Spotlight: Liz Hartmetz (‘24)
V. Alumni Spotlight: Shriya Shinde (‘22)
VI. Spring 2024 Preview
VII. Opportunities to Support TRAiLS
I. Fall 2023 Rundown
This semester was yet another success for our organization. Under our new president, Liz Hartmetz (‘24), TRAiLS put out 36 trips (including Adventure Bound) in service of hundreds of students.
We put on numerous community events this semester thanks to our new Community Engagement Coordinator, Kalea Wilson and Events and Services Coordinator Kate Rogers (both ‘26). From Open Mic Night to Cocoa on Kogan, TRAiLS is continuing to engage the campus community.
TRAiLS also transitioned its diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (DIA) leadership position to a committee in order to allow for more input from the guide community. Thanks to the committee, we have designed an official process for administering trip fee waivers with the $10,000 awarded to us last semester, a process which will begin in the new year.
II. New Accomplishments
TRAiLS is proud to report that we have started measuring our gear rental program thanks to Gear Managers George Haase-Cox and Spencer Wilcox (both ‘26). Over the course of the semester we rented out gear on 20 different occasions, serving a total of 63 people. Their destinations ranged from Niagara Falls to the Carolinas.
While not a new accomplishment, TRAiLS also brought back our fall break Gauley trip to Lansing, West Virginia! Guides Thomas Broyles, Harper Goldstein (both ‘26), and Arlo Smaldone (‘25) braved some of the country’s toughest whitewater rapids at the largest paddling festival in the world. Here’s a pic:
In non-TRAiLS news, I want to shout out Guide Sylvia Cassidy (‘25) for scoring 100% in her appearance on the NPR news quiz show Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! I strongly encourage everyone to listen. She’s featured early in the episode, so you won’t have to wait long!
III. Photo Highlights
IV. Leadership Spotlight
For everyone curious about TRAiLS’ leadership, I want to introduce our esteemed president, Liz Hartmetz (‘24). She’s from Colorado and studies chemistry and geology at GW. To learn about the rest of our guides, you can click here.
🟤 What's been on your agenda as president?
“My priorities for this term are mainly reducing trip costs and focusing on the solidification of systems for planning and financial sustainability due to advisor turnover.”
🟤 What accomplishment are you most proud of from this semester?
“The accomplishment I am most proud of is, in collaboration with leadership and Campus Recreation, the discovery of where we are getting more of our funding and the planning of how much we’re able to reduce trip costs next semester.”
🟤 Do you have a favorite TRAiLS experience from this semester? What is it and why?
“I work at Lerner [Health and Wellness Center] and I consistently see a participant who was on a backpacking trip at the beginning of the semester, and we always talk about what a great trip it was. It’s just always nice to see the impact we make on the GW community.”
🟤 What is your dream TRAiLS trip? Where would you go and why?
“My dream TRAiLS trip would have to be — well, Grand Canyon is cool and I’m stoked to go on that — but I guess I would have to say something in Colorado, like some 14ers or Rocky Mountain National Park, which would be really cool for me.”
🟤 Is there anything you want to say to graduates?
I hope you’re doing well. Whether I’ve met you or not, I hope you find joy in reading these updates and about how TRAiLS is changing, and that you feel like your time in the organization was fruitful.”
V. Alumni Spotlight: Shriya Shinde (‘22)
In this edition we’re checking in with TRAiLS alumna Shriya Shinde (‘22). She answered some questions over email:
🟢 Shriya, what have you been up to?
“After graduating, I moved to New York to work as a paralegal at the Manhattan District Attorney's office. I feel very lucky to have this job, and I'm grateful for everything I've learned in the past 1.5 years. I'm excited to continue my legal career in law school next year!”
🟢 What's been your favorite part about postgrad?
“I have loved exploring New York. There is so much to see constantly, and I think this is the perfect age to move to the city.”
🟢 In hindsight, how do you think that your undergrad experience was shaped by TRAiLS?
“TRAiLS pushed me to take risks and challenge myself in ways I would have least expected. The people I met in this organization are some of the kindest and most welcoming people I interacted with at GW. I have a new passion and a deep connection for the outdoors that would not have happened had I not guided.”
🟢 What's your favorite TRAiLS memory?
“My favorite memory by far is leading my adventure-bound trip to Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania. We had such an amazing group of guides leading the trip, and I learned so much from all of them. I loved seeing the participants open up to one another and build friendships that went beyond the trip. My high school self would be pretty shocked to hear that I started my senior year of college guiding a white water rafting trip with 20 freshmen, but for that, I am so grateful.”
🟢 Do you have a New Year's resolution?
I would love to hike more in the new year. I really want to hike in Grand Teton!
🟢 Is there anything else that you want to tell the TRAiLS community?
“Despite having little to no hiking/outdoor adventure experience, TRAiLS welcomed me into their community, and it was by far the best decision I made at GW. Please reach out if you have any questions about jobs or just navigating life! I would love to be a resource for anyone in the TRAiLS community.”
VI. Spring 2024 Preview
TRAiLS is excited to announce that we are bringing back some ambitious trips for next semester, including three spring break trips: one to Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida; a backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon; and another along the Black Forest Trail in Pennsylvania. These will be our first non-local trips since the pandemic began.
In total, TRAiLS has 40 trips on the schedule for the spring — not to mention campus events and guide recruitment — so it should be a busy semester.
VII. Opportunities to Support TRAiLS
GW TRAiLS aspires to provide the best possible outdoor connections for the GW community. We provide important mental and physical health benefits, and work to serve everyone, from first-time hikers to experienced backpackers. To help us in our mission, please consider donating to TRAiLS through our tax-deductible link below.
Impact:
$12.50: helps us provide a 50% fee waiver for our standard trip cost
$25: helps us provide a full fee waiver for our standard trip cost
$50: helps us provide two full fee waivers for our standard trip cost
That’s it for our second newsletter. Thanks for reading, and don’t hesitate to reach out. See you outdoors!
Best wishes,
Owen Averill
Vice President, GW TRAiLS