Danielle Berkow

Major: English and Sociology
Minor: Spanish
Hometown: Pembroke Pines, FL
In TriP since: Spring 2009
Position: Publicity officer
Trail name: Dani

I'm happiest when there is no roof over my head and no shoes on my feet. I'm just one of those people that can't get enough sunshine on her skin and sea salt in her hair. My best memories (and most enthusiastic future plans) are of anything involving the outdoors: swimming, surfing, sailing the oceans; hiking, climbing, snowboarding the mountains. Nature is thrilling in every aspect. I want to share this excitement with everyone who is willing to embrace adventure!

P.S. I also love other cultures, green tea smoothies, and good jazzy jam sessions.

Matthew Cooper

I love trying new things, traveling, music, dancing, reading and doing pretty much anything that gets me outside. I also like Travelling, Recreating, and, of course, lowercase "i"s.

"No one should go through life without once experiencing healthy, even bored solitude in the wilderness, finding himself depending solely on himself and thereby learning his true and hidden strength"
-Jack Kerouac

Caitlin Dejong

Name: Caitlin DeJong
Hometown: Winter Park, FL
Major: Recreation, Parks and Tourism
Minors: Sustainability/Environmental Studies

There's nothing better than escaping the world of clocks, cell phones, computers and mirrors... Go outside and find out what it's all about!

"We can discover the wonders of nature, rolling in the rushes down by the riverside."
-The Grateful Dead

Lindsay Ferguson

When I was little, I hoped to live in a tree in Brazil and study poisonous dart frogs once I grew up. I still want to move to Brazil, but for now TRiP is the closest I can get to living in the trees. I love smiling, laughing, dancing, singing and sharing my happiness to be alive. I am really good at U-turns and parallel parking, languages, making smoothies, cooking, baking and cheering people up. I love people, and life in general so I hope we meet soon because I love you already! Te querendo como ninguem, Te querendo como Deus quiser, Te querendo como eu te quero, Te querendo como se quer.

Justin Fisch

Hometown: Waverley, Nova Scotia, Canada
Major: Political Science, Pre-Law
Minor: Sustainability Studies
Languages: French, Spanish
TRiP Leader Since: Spring 2009
Interests: alpine skiing, cross country skiing, kayaking, canoeing, mountain biking, backpacking, hang gliding, climbing, backpacking, scrambling, etc....

I love the outdoors and there's not much more to it than that! I love to travel and will fly anywhere in the world on a whim. I have traveled Europe through the Alps into Basque Spain, explored the Highlands of Guatemala, and seen the beauty of Israel. The majority of my outdoor experience lies in hiking the Canadian Rockies for the past ten years. This past summer, I was a volunteer volcano backpacking guide with Quetzaltrekkers in Nicaragua.
"Today is your day, your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!" -Dr. Seuss

Frank Fogarty

Major: Zoology
Hometown: Mt. Dora, Fl
Position: Climbing Director
Joined TRiP: Spring 2007


I am a firm believer in the idea that we all need other people to be happy, and I joined TRiP to share my love of the outdoors and adventure with others. I love climbing, backpacking, and just about anything else that gets me outside.

My experiences being involved with TRiP have changed my life, and I hope everyone gets a chance to get out there and enjoy the world around them, even if its only for one weekend.

Did I mention I love climbing?

Kyle Freeman

Name: Kyle Freeman
Major: Linguistics/Spanish
Year I became a leader: Spring 2006
Position: Director of Communications


Oft mistaken for a Chilean alpaca herder, and more often a panhandler, I am really just a city boy from St. Pete. Luckily I live on a nature preserve (designated as such despite the coal power plant it houses) and have had outdoor experiences that shaped who I am. That's what I'm in it for, to give others the chance to rediscover their roots. The farther we get away from our nature the more there is to learn from it. I like biking. Check out my mountain bike.

Annie Grayson

A wise, retired TRiP leader once told me, "Life is not about how many experiences you devour, but in how many you digest." My hope is that in your efforts to make lots of money and take over the world, you take the time to truly enjoy the people and the places that surround you. TRiP can give you that opportunity... And if you come on one of my trips, I can almost guarantee we will be devouring Reese's pancakes.

Cameron Heard

Joined: Spring 2008
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: Greenville, SC
Interests: Adventures, including but not limited to: backpacking, mountain biking, climbing (rocks, trees, buildings), paddling, snorkeling.

Jose Hennig

Hometown: Caracas, Venezuela
Major: Political Science
Minors: Portuguese and Business
TRiP Leader Since: Spring 2008

I am really into music, and I play a variety of instruments, most of them some type of drum. I love to listen to all kinds of music from all over the world. I'm also a huge fan of movies that I consider awesome.

My first TRiP was an incredible experience, and I joined this organization so that I could help others enjoy their TRiPs as much as I've enjoyed mine.

Jonathan Kalantar

Major: Land and Water Resources Engineering
Hometown: 904
In TRiP since: Spring 2008

It feels normal, wonderful and easy to be outside on the rocks, mountains, rivers and forests all the time. I feel inspired to share this with the rest of the world.

"Let the beauty you love be what you do. There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the earth." Rumi

Shin-Ping Lao

Major/Minors: Zoology/Botany& Spanish
Hometown: Raleigh, NC
Joined TRiP: Spring 09

I'm a really big fan of spending time in the great outdoors, enjoying the little things in life, pushing my limits, making other people smile, and chocolate chip cookies. There's nothing so important as maintaining our sense of wonder at the awesome world we wake up to every day, and there's nothing like a good hike/paddle/bike ride/journey through the mountains/deserts/oceans/caves/ rivers/forests to remind us that Earth is a beautiful, wonderful place to live.

I can't wait to TRiP with all of you!

Jillian McLaughlin

Year I started in TRiP: 2007
Major: Animal Sciences
My favorite outdoor activity is backpacking but I enjoy all the others too. To me there is nothing more satisfying than relaxing in the wilderness after a long day of backpacking. I think you'll enjoy it too so come try it out!
Favorite Quote
"Now I see the secret of making the best persons. It is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth."
-Walt Whitman

Paige Miller

I love to travel and get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, even if just for a few days! Looking for a relaxing weekend to just enjoy the outdoors and make some new friends? Come TRiP with me- I promise a TRiP with lots of fun, laughter and good food (my favorite things)!

"I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth." -Steve McQueen

Eric  Monaco

class of 2011
Major: Biology, Geology
Hometown: Gainesville, FL

preferred activities: canoeing, surfing, sailing, climbing, backpacking, eating, thinking


create your own reality. let's go have some fun!

McKenzie Morton

Major: English
Minor: Spanish
Hometown: Naples, FL
Joined TRiP: Spring 2008

Interests: I love being in the outdoors and traveling. If I can do both...I am happy. TRiP changed my life, come let it change yours.

"The pleasures, the values of contact with the natural world, are not reserved for the scientists. They are available to anyone who will place himself under the influence of a lonely mountain top-or the sea-or the stillness of a forest; or who will stop to think about so small a thing as the mystery of a growing seed."
-Rachel Carson

"We can never have enough of nature. We need to witness our own limits transgressed, and some life pasturing freely where we never wander."
-Henry David Thoreau

Fae Nageon de Lestang

Major: Entomology Hometown: Naples, FL Been in TRiP since: Spring 2009 Quotable quotes: Time is an illusion. Lunchtime, doubly so. -The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Ari Osteen

Name: Ari Osteen
Trail Name: ReMiz
Major: Psychology & Political Sciene
Joined: Spring 09
Hometown: Longwood, FL

Fortunately, as a child, my parents took it upon themselves to give up the luxuries at home and pass on the big screen T.V. in order to save money to travel as a family. As a result I have been lucky enough to visit many different places--every region of the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the Caribbean, England, Ukraine, Egypt, and Israel, each with vastly different cultures that have provided me with priceless insights. I must concede that although the knowledge I have gained through traditional domestic education has provided me with tools to survive and compete in the workforce, the wisdom and perspective I acquired abroad has provided me not only with tools, but also with a broader way of thinking that unlocked within me a greater compassion and understanding of humanity in general. Take yourself outdoors, and connect with the rest of humankind.

"Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, no one but ourselves can free our mind."
-Bob Marley

"Why does Sea World have a seafood restaurant?? I'm halfway through my fish burger and I realize, Oh man....I could be eatinga slow learner."
-Lyndon B. Johnson

Kathryn Prouse

Major: Elementary Education
Years in trip: 4
Originally from Orlando, FL, I spend my summers canoeing through Minnesota and Canada.

"As she peered ahead, into the great land before her, the way seemed long. But the sky was bright and somehow, she felt she was headed in the right direction." - E.B. White

Jarryd Reed

Major: Microbiology
Hometown: Lake Mary, FL
Joined Spring 2009

Sometimes the best thing in life is to get away from life itself, to break free of the daily routine by stepping off the beaten path and do something different. The chance to get away from Gainesville for a weekend and enjoy the backwoods away from modern conveniences allows me to take in a greater appreciation of the life we live. Plus there is nothing that makes me happier than to be outside soaking up the sun and doing some amazing activity like backpacking, mountain biking, kayaking, or just laying in a field with friends. Every time you step outside is an adventure - make the most of it.

Brian Reindl

Every day, we each learn a little more about who we are. I can't wait to meet you so that we might help eachother with that learning process. I love to sing, dance, and hang outside of my comfort zone. I'm always up for doing just about anything, especially if it involves being outdoors. Anywhere there's water, look for me. Be it on a boat, a board, a pair of skis, or my own flesh and bone, I love to get wet.

Rikki Seguin

Majors: Astronomy, Physics
Hometown: ATL.

I love nature! I love to learn! The color of my soul is saffron!
My favorite part of nature is the variety of colors you can find. Just looking in my backyard I can see 30 shades of green; multiply that by 40000 and that's what it's like exploring a new ecosystem. Sensory overload!

"If you're lucky enough to be in the mountains, you're lucky enough." -Keenan Fernandez

Hillary Smith

Rachel Stewart

Joined TRiP: Spring 2008
Major: Materials Science and Engineering
Hometown: Stuart, Fl

The common thread that unites all of the leaders of this organization is a love of the outdoors: marveling at the natural wondors, experiencing the beautiful simplicity, learning about life. I enjoy all outdoor activities but most of all rockclimbing, backpacking, white-water rafting, sailing, snorkeling/diving, and skiing. I also enjoy traveling, playing games (I like being such a kid sometimes), playing beach volleyball, soccer, and frisbee, and exploring the many joys that come from food (making delicious meals while camping, eating Krishna lunch everyday, going out for sushi, trying diverse cultural foods). So when I am not immersed in one of these fun activities, I like taking naps in the grass on a warm day, falling asleep looking at the endless trail of stars, and thinking about life and its endless possibilities.

Katie Sullivan

Major: Economics & Anthropology
Hometown: Altamonte Springs, FL
Joined TRiP: Spring 2008

I love escaping everyday life for the woods, especially when it means backpacking or canoeing. The days spent on a trail or river are always so exhilarating. There is still so much to discover, so take a TRiP!

The only thing more incredible than the beauty of wilderness is the opportunity it gives to learn about ourselves and each other.

Kathryn Swanson

Major: Exercise Physiology
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
TRiP leader since: Spring 2008
Position: Historian

For me, there's nothing better than being able to escape to the mountains for a weekend. In the midst of today's fast pace life, the outdoors has retained the ability to teach us what really matters and can put everything in perspective. Whether it's soaking in gorgeous mountain views, rock climbing, canoeing, pushing towards the summit, or just enjoying simple conversation around a campfire, a journey into the wilderness is something that everyone should experience. I love backpacking and am always up for an adventure!

"We find in life exactly what we put into it."

James Thomas

Joined TRiP: Spring '09
Major: Biology
Hometown: Wellington, Florida

I like trying different things. I love climbing. I love camping. I love hiking. I love taking pictures. Playing Frisbee is good too. So is slack lining. I really enjoy sitting by a campfire with friends. If you can be outside and do it, I'll probably like it. The outdoors allows me to do everything I enjoy most, and I couldn't be more excited sharing my love for nature with others.

'If I ever have a son, if I ever have a daughter, I don't want to tell them that I didn't give my all'
- The Avett Brothers

Jessie Wilson

Joined TRiP: Spring 2008
Major: Life
Hometown Stuart, FL

In my opinion the measure of a person is their desire to learn. Learning about people, the environment, ideas of all sorts, and the universe entirely brings me to a mental state nearly unmatched by any other activity; although I also love to climb, snorkel, hike, and bike.
I fear society as a whole has lost its sence of exploration, but I love meeting people who prove there is still hope. So if you are ready for an adventure, care to debate the meaning of life, or are just looking for someone to meditate with, give me a shout. And whether you're an outdoors person or live the majority or your life under a roof, do me a favor and go outside, explore, I promise you'll find something that makes you smile.

Amber Zappia

Major: Anthropology
Joined TRiP: Spring 2008
There's nothing I love more than being in the wilderness! I love singing every song that comes to mind and dancing whenever possible! Kayaking, canoeing, backpacking, and dogsledding all make me smile! I'm always up for a good adventure and I'm SUPER excited to TRiP with all of you!!!