Williwaw Instructors

Each expedition travels with one male and one female instructor, and additional instructors are often brought on for the sailing and paddling components. All instructors are highly qualified and competent leaders who genuinely enjoy working with young people. They have wilderness first aid training and the average age is 26. While not leading trips for Williwaw Adventures, your instructors are employed as teachers, outdoor educators and professional sailors.

Cordy is a native to Orcas Island in Washington State and a graduate of Williams College. She has sailed as a crew member on sailing ships engaged in educational programs in the Pacific Northwest as well as the U.S. East Coast, the Caribbean and South America. Cordy has a background in Geology and has taught high school science and math. She is a certified Wilderness First Responder as well as an United States Coast Guard licensed Captain.

Cordy has a Master's Degree in Architecture and is a licensed Architect focusing her efforts on residential and community projects. When it comes to making pies, Cordy does not fool around. Her lemon meringue and blackberry pies are legendary.

Nisa grew up on Martha's Vineyard and is a recent graduate of Nisa grew up on Martha's Vineyard and is a recent graduate of Prescott College in Arizona earning her degree in Wilderness Leadership and Education. Her backcountry experience includes leading whitewater kayaking in California and New Zealand, rock climbing in Joshua Tree and Yosemite, telemark skiing in the Northwest, and backpacking in many different places across the country. As a professional sailor, she has spent time on the schooners Alabama & Spirit of Massachusetts as well as several yachts. She is a U.S.C.G. licensed Captain and a Wilderness First Responder. Nisa is married and currently resides on Martha's Vineyard with her husband Tim and son Theo.

If pancakes are on the menu, it is best to just step aside and let her take over.

Aubrey Nelson grew up in Moultonboro, NH and graduated from Bates College with a double major in Environmental Studies and Francophone (French) Cultural Studies. This is her second summer leading for Williwaw, and she has also led trips for the Tin Mountain Conservation Center as well as the Bates College Outing Club and freshmen orientation program (AESOP). She has studied ecology and social effects of conservation in Madagascar, served as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, spent 10 months working (WWOOFing) on organic farms in Europe, and is hoping for an eventual career in the field of environmental education. She is a firm believer in the effectiveness of experiential learning, is Wilderness First Aid certified and, and prefers a tent to a 5-star hotel any day. She is also a certified Maine Trip Leader.

Along with summiting mountains and exploring waterways via various boat-like vessels, her favorite pastimes include Ultimate Frisbee, writing, cooking, capture the flag, stargazing, soccer, gardening, learning and sharing interesting factoids, and eating frozen peas. She has been told that if she were an animal, she would be an otter.

Sam graduated from Bates College in 2009 with a degree in Spanish and Political Science. At Bates, he was an active member of the Outing Club and skied on the Nordic Ski team for four years. He has worked as an English tutor for a family in Spain, and a fondue cook/winter tour guide in Argentina, where he was also the 2008 Argentine national champion for cross-country skiing. He likes travel, music, outdoor activities and sports of all types (but especially endurance types), and food. He is a certified Maine Trip Leader and has Wilderness First Aid certification. He has worked a wide variety of summer and part-time jobs, from lifeguard and ski instructor to bicycle mechanic. After graduating, Sam did a brief stint as a research assistant, but has since been in France and Spain, working on organic farms and going on adventures.

His favorite moment of every day is waking up and realizing that next he gets to eat breakfast! We are excited to welcome Sam to Williwaw this summer. 

Brad graduated last spring from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, where he studied Technology Education and Outdoor Education.  This past year, he spent 8 months living in New Zealand.  During this time he volunteered on organic farms, did over 50 days of backpacking, and spent two months climbing.  During his junior year at BGSU, Brad completed the Outdoor Educator Semester with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) focusing on backcountry skiing, canyonerring, and rock climbing.  Last summer Brad worked for the Fort Carson Adventure Programs and Education as a White Water Raft Guide on the Arkansas River and as a Rock Climbing Instructor.  Brad has a passion for the wilderness and traveling.He is a Wilderness First Responder and Certified Maine Trip Leader.

In his free time he enjoys climbing, mountain biking, and photography.  He is also an avid runner!

Kristi iKristi is recent graduate of University of California San Diego, where she is studied Linguistics and Environmental Science.  We are excited to welcome her back for her second summer with us. A native of northern California, she has spent lots of time backpacking, paddling and sailing in her home state. While at UCSD she led backpacking, kayaking and rock climbing trips. She has spent several years as a counselor at a 4-H camp and in 2008 completed a 140 mile backpack in Yosemite National Park. In the past six years, Kristi has traveled to an amazing 23 countries - living in New Zealand and Peru for six months each as an exchange student. Some of her experiences include trekking in Patagonia, exploring the fjords of New Zealand and teaching English for six weeks in Ecuador. She is also a member of the UCSD Womens' Ultimate Frisbee and Sailing team.  Kristi is a Certified Maine Trip Leader, a whitewater rafting guide  and Wilderness First Responder.

When in the Amazon, Kristi woke up with a scorpion spider on her belly and survived an attack by a seriously poisonous snake.

Colby has recently finished her Master's Degree at Northern Arizona in Outdoor Education, and holds an undergraduate degree in Adventure Education and Wilderness Leadership from Prescott College. While at school, Colby has served as the Course Director for Prescott's New Student Orientation. Colby completed a semester with NOLS, sailing, sea kayaking and backpacking in Baja, Mexico. In addition to having Wilderness First Responder training and being a registered Maine Trip Leader, she is a certified sailing instructor and has been teaching on the coasts of Maine where she grew up, and the west coast for the past seven years. Colby now calls Virginia home where she has taken a teaching position. . She has led both the Maine Wilderness Expedition and Pacific Northwest Expedition for us.

Raised in Northern Michigan camping and boating, Tim has spent the last five years in Alaska where he has been an Expedition Sea Kayak Guide and university instructor for such classes as: Kayak Rolling, Expedition Sea Kayaking, Ice Climbing, Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue. He is a Wilderness First Responder, a certified Maine Trip Leader and a Level 2 Avalanche technician, as well as a National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) alumnus.  In 2006, Tim participated in a NOLS Mountaineering course to the India Himalaya and has recently been a part of a 30-day expedition across the Wrangell Mountains of Alaska. Tim is equally at home on the ocean or in the mountains guiding and instructing. When not in the mountains or on the water, he can be found finishing on his degree in Adventure Education and Wilderness Leadership. Tim is also an avid photographer – focusing on landscape, adventure sports and wildlife.

Raised in Stowe, Vermont, MaryClaire grew up exploring the area daily on foot, ski, canoe and bike. She graduated in 2008 from Colby College in Waterville, Maine where she studied biology and mathematics. In college she also played varsity field hockey, was an active member of the Colby Outing Club, and skied in several nordic ski marathons. Following college she biked across the country then moved to Colorado and spent last spring as the math apprentice at the High Mountain Institute in Leadville, Colorado. There she taught precalculus and spent over 50 days in the field helping to lead backpacking expeditions in the Utah Canyons and a winter camping trip in the high peaks of Colorado. This year she split the school year between teaching middle school math at a winter program in Switzerland, and teaching ecology at an environmental education program in New England. In between teaching MaryClaire has traveled around Europe, coached numerous field hockey camps, guided Whale Watch excursions in Alaska, and lead summer expeditions in the Colorado Rockies for HMI. She is a Wilderness First Responder and spent two years as an assistant athletic trainer in college. When she's not "working" she can usually be found outside telemark skiing, knitting, rambling through the woods, or doing logic puzzles.  

Adam is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and recently graduated from Penn State with a degree in Landscape Contracting.  He spent the last four years backpacking, climbing, kayaking, and mountain biking with the Penn State Outing Club.  Adam also led guided trips for Adventure Recreation, Penn State's outdoor program.  He studied abroad in Galway, Ireland for six months and lived in Bozeman, Montana last summer.  Future plans include doing industrial rope access work rappelling off wind turbines and climbing bridges. Adam has Wilderness First Responder training and is a Certified Maine Trip Leader. When not enjoying the outdoors, Adam likes reading, cooking, gardening, campfires, and talking philosophy (preferably outdoors!)   

Jason has been teaching English in prep schools in the Northeast for the past ten years, as well as coaching cross country, swimming, basketball, and lacrosse. He holds a M.A. in English and American Literature. In his free time, Jason enjoys competing in road races and triathlons (he's completed three half-iron races, and has his sights set on the iron distance) and spending as much time outdoors as possible. His passion for mountaineering - snow, rock, and ice - and exploring new places has taken him throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. He has been involved with Mountaineering and Climbing courses with Outward Bound, the National Outdoor Leadership School and the American Alpine Institute. He is a Wilderness First Responder, Certified Maine Trip Leader and Leave-No-Trace Trainer.

When not playing in the mountains, Jason is trying to get used to life in New York City - which can be a wilderness all its own.

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