We've got some new faces in the piney woods!

Read about some of our new, and returning, Discovery staff below!

Dare

First year Discovery Instructor

Hometown: Cumberland, Maine
College: St Lawrence
Major: English
Favorite Color: Blue! I only wore blue from the age of 5 until I was about 12.
Favorite Animal: Whales. I am absolutely fascinated by the world under the waves (one of the best experiences in my life was scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef). I have only ever seen one humpback from a distance and I would love to see more whales up close.
Favorite Food: Sushi or pizza.
Favorite Movie: I’m obsessed with nature documentaries, Pride & Prejudice, and The Martian.
Hobbies: I love to go on adventures indoor and outdoor: hiking, camping, kayaking, bookworm, etc. I am currently learning how to play the ukulele. I also love to do various art projects, especially drawing, writing, needlepoint, and photography (both film and digital).
What did you want to be when you grew up? An explorer—still trying to live out this dream!
Where would you like to travel to next and why? Chile, or South America in general, has been on the top of my list since I was 10, or to visit my best friend who is moving to Senegal this winter for the Peace Corps.

Thomas

First year Discovery Instructor

Hometown: Spring, Texas
College: Montreat College
Major: Outdoor Education
Favorite Color: Red
Favorite Animal: My dog named Fritz
Favorite Food: MOD Pizza!
Favorite Movie: Marvel Cinematic Universe/ Lord of the Rings
Hobbies: Biking, Swimming, Pokémon Go, Xbox, Agents of Shield, and Ultimate Frisbee
What did you want to be when you grew up? Power Ranger
Where would you like to travel to next and why? Italy, I went to Italy my senior year of high school and I had such a great time and have wanted to go back ever since. 

Rachel

Program Manager and first year Discovery Instructor

Hometown: Katy, Texas
College: Stephen F. Austin State University
Major: Agriculture Education
Favorite Color: Mint or a blue
Favorite Animal: Santa Gertrudis cattle or Bison! I am currently growing my herd of “Gerts” and will show them all over Texas. Bison are a favorite because they are just so darn cute and they are more challenging to raise than cattle.
Favorite Food: BBQ Cheeseburgers!  They are my favorite by far.
Favorite Movie:  I have too many I like! My favorite tv shows are Bones and Scrubs
Hobbies: I have tons of hobbies but I am an avid hunter and fisher! I also enjoy kayaking, hiking, camping, raising cattle, welding, reading, baking…. My list will go on forever as I am a jack of all trades but a master of none :)
What did you want to be when you grew up?  I wanted to be a Vet for the longest time but soon realized how bad at math I am so I became an Ag Teacher, after four years of teaching I am now at Camp Allen.   
Where would you like to travel to next and why?  I have several trips in the works right now! The big ones include a trip to Scotland and Ireland, then either Australia or the Maldives. My smaller trips will be to Florida, Wyoming to see the Cheyenne Frontier Days, and Montana to do some fly fishing.

Michael

First year Discovery Instructor

Hometown: Austin, Texas
College: Texas A&M Corpus Christi
Major: Environmental Science
Favorite Color: I always end up with a lot of blue stuff so that’s probably the winner there.
Favorite Animal: Can’t narrow it down to one but the list includes dogs, otters, and owls for sure. 
Favorite Food: Pizza rolls and watermelon…not necessarily together but I’m open-minded I guess.
Favorite Movie: I could watch Top Gun on an endless loop and still tear up when Goose dies so probably that one.
Hobbies: I like making music, swimming, photography (digital & film), riding boards with wheels downhill, and a whole lot of other stuff I just can’t think of right now.  I try to have fun in all environments.
What did you want to be when you grew up? – I never thought ahead to actually growing up but I definitely knew I wanted to somehow help others each day.
Where would you like to travel to next and why? – I’d like to see South America but it’ll probably be somewhere on the East or West Coast.  Planning to take the opportunities as they arise. 

Margaret

First year Discovery Instructor

Hometown: Houston, Texas
College: Baylor
Major: Nursing (in progress)
Favorite Color: Yellow
Favorite Animal: Horse
Favorite Food: Chips and Salsa
Favorite Movie: Despicable Me
Hobbies: Camping, arts & crafts, singing and sleeping
What did you want to be when your grew up? A Nurse!
Where would you like to travel to next and why? The Grand Canyon, I hear it’s breathtaking.

Emily

First year Discovery Instructor

Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
College: Monmouth College
Major: Biology
Favorite Color: blue (royal blue if I’m pressed for a specific shade)
Favorite Animal: Amazon River dolphin is in first place, owls are a close second, and all other animals are in third because there is really no animal I don’t like
Favorite Food: Pork fried rice
Favorite Movie: Bird Cage, About Time, A Fish Called Wanda, Mamma Mia, Before We Go
Hobbies: Swimming, hiking, biking, writing, kayaking, photography, meeting new dogs, reading, learning new skills, playing guitar (very badly), and making various crafts.
What did you want to be when you grew up? Zoo keeper and a writer.
Where would you like to travel to next and why? I have a long travel list, but the top 3 I’m working on are Tanzania, South Africa, and China. Of course, now that I’ll be living so close to Mexico I may try to schedule a trip there.

Kelley

Fourth year Discovery Instructor

Hometown: Midlothian, Virginia
College: James Madison University
Major: Recreation
Favorite Color: blue
Favorite Animal: individually, my dog, Lily, but as a species, Okapi
Favorite Food: sushi rolls
Favorite Movie: Little Shop of Horrors (yes, I know it’s rather funny that I’m the gardener, and my favorite movie is a musical about a plant from outer space that eats people)
Hobbies reading, hiking with my dog, singing, playing guitar,  and going to local street fairs/historical events/festivals.
What did you want to be when you grew up? Growing up, I wanted to be an opera singer,  and trained for several years to do so before switching majors in college.
Where would you like to travel to next and why? My next travel plan is to go to Australia to visit a friend from college, and see new plants and animals!

Lauren

First year with Discovery

Hometown: Clinton, Connecticut
College: Ithaca College
Degree: Biology
Favorite Color: It kind of switches between blues and green, depending on my mood
Favorite Animal: Giraffes, I love how tall and awkward looking they are, but I dream of seeing one outside of a zoo in their natural habitat
Favorite Food: Chicken Parmesan, or Mac n’cheese
Favorite Movie: So many! But my top ones are Shawshank Redemption, Tommy Boy, and the secret life of bees
Hobbies: Hiking, Kayaking, Swimming, Tennis, baking, and sewing/quilting and knitting are a few!
What did you want to be when you grew up? For the longest time all I wanted to be was an adventurer because I read a book on Amelia Earhart and she became my hero. When I got a little older though I really wanted to become a vet.
Where would you like to travel to next and why? I would love to go to New Zealand and hike/camp the whole coastline. Either that or a trip to Africa to see the wild animals (Giraffes!!) at a wildlife refuge.

Cianis

First year Discovery Instructor

Hometown: Katy, Texas
College: Southern New Hampshire University
Degree: Environmental Engineering
Favorite Color: Teal
Favorite Animal: Sloth
Favorite Food: Medium Rare Steak
Favorite Movie: Too many to name one
Hobbies: Kayaking, exploring the outdoors with my kids, crafting, gardening, and baking.
What did you want to be when you grew up? Roller coaster creator or tester, fighter pilot, astronaut, welder
Where would you like to travel to next and why? Hawaii to explore the aftermath of a volcanic eruption.

Bryan

Third year Discovery Instructor

Hometown: Meadows Place, Texas
College: Sam Houston State University
Degree: Biology with a minor in History
Favorite Color: Green
Favorite Animal: Burmese Python
Favorite Food: Calamari
Favorite Movie: Forest Gump
Hobbies: Herpetology, Video games, Writing
What did you want to be when you grew up? Weather Broadcaster
Where would you like to travel to next and why? Australia, wildlife