TRAiLS Guides
GW TRAiLS offers a leadership program where students lead their peers on weekend and break trips outdoors. This experiential leadership opportunity provides students with outdoor skills, leadership training, planning, and trip preparation. TRAiLS Guide volunteers devise and plan all the outings, organize the logistics, and provide support to ensure a safe, educational, and fun-filled adventure.
TRAiLS Guide Program Application
The application process for the TRAiLS Guide Program occurs at the beginning of the spring semester for first-year and sophomore undergraduate GW students. No outdoor experience is required, and everyone interested in leading others in the outdoors is encouraged to apply.
The 2024 application is now closed. Below you can find the Applicant Packet from the 2024 recruitment cycle which explains the process. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to [email protected].
2024 Applicant Packet
Training and Qualifications
All TRAiLS Guides are certified in Wilderness First Aid (WFA), Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Mental Health Wilderness First Aid (MHWFA), and Leave No Trace (LNT) wilderness ethics. TRAiLS Guides receive regular trainings in outdoor skills, social justice and diversity, group facilitation, and risk assessment. Our TRAiLS Guides regularly participate in environmental stewardship service opportunities and facilitate events to engage the GW campus in outdoor adventure.
Meet the Guides
Leadership
Thomas B.
President
Junior, International Affairs & Political Science, Minor in History
he/him
Hey folks! My name is Thomas and I come from just outside of Boston. Growing up in Massachusetts, which I love to talk about, I spent my summers hiking, camping, and kayaking in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. When I'm not getting lost in the woods or engaging in some adrenaline-rushing activity, I enjoy traveling, watching Boston sports, and following the political world. I can't wait to see all of you on the trail and around campus!
Liam M.
Vice President
Senior, Economics & Philosophy
he/him
Hello there! My name's Liam and I'm from the beautiful state of New Jersey. I grew up hiking in the Adirondacks, and my favorite thing to do is listen to music while sitting in cool spots outside. When I'm hanging outside I like to talk about football, backpacking, and movies. See you all on trail!
Asim E.
Training & Recruitment Coordinator
Junior, Human Services and Social Justice, Minor in GWTeach
he/him
Hello my name is Asim Ebrahim, I am from Long Island, New York and I am a junior majoring in Human Services and Social Justice, with a minor in GWTeach. I am one of the Training and Recruitment Coordinators in Trails and I am excited to get to know you all and am happy to answer any questions that you may have. I enjoy reading, backpacking, and sleeping. I can usually be found at Lerner Health and Wellness Center either working or working out and I am excited for a great year.
Jenna A.
Training & Recruitment Coordinator
Sophomore, Chemistry
she/her
Heyo! My name's Jenna and I'm from Reston, Virginia. I love playing french horn in the university band and guitar in my room, taking care of my houseplants, and reading in Kogan. You may also see me working at the Air and Space Museum--come ask me questions! A fun fact about me is that I can whistle like a bird. TRAiLS trips are always a blast, so I hope to see you out on trail or at GBMs!!!
Kalea W.
Community Engagement Facilitator
Junior, International Affairs & Geography, Minor in GIS
he/him
Hey guys! I’m Kalea, an avid hiker and aspiring philosopher from the great commonwealth of Virginia! I love playing soccer, listening to music and exploring DC! Most weekends you can either find me in the woods searching for Bigfoot or enjoying the national mall. Can’t wait to see you all on Trail!
Jamie P.
Events & Services
Junior, International Affairs, Minor in American Studies
she/her
Hey hey! My name is Jamie and I’m from Milwaukee, Wisconsin! And no, I am not a fan of cheese. Some of my favorite activities include exploring the outdoors, running, playing with my pups, playing tennis and watching soccer (go Arsenal)! In DC you can catch me in Kogan, around the Georgetown Waterfront, or grabbing coffee at Blue Bottle. See you around!
Isabel W.
Gear Manager
Sophomore, Nutritional Science
she/her
Hey everyone! My name is Isabel and I’m from New Jersey. I love all outdoors activities, and I’m always up for an adventure! On campus you can find me walking around munching on an apple or hammocking! I also love cooking and baking, exploring dc, and taking hot yoga classes. Super excited to see you on trail soon!
Jackie M.
Gear Manager
Sophomore
she/her
Hey all! I'm from Seattle and I'm a proud Washingtonian. My favorite activity in the outdoors is walking dogs. If you see me around campus, I'd love to chat about your favorite spots in D.C.
Ava T.
Marketing Manager
Junior, Political Science & Music
she/her
Hi! I am from Dallas, Texas and have loved living in DC for college. I enjoy hanging out with friends, reading, listening to podcasts, and going to the weekend markets in the city. TRAiLS is one of my favorite parts of being at GW, so I hope to see you outside on the trail!!!
Harper G.
DIA Co-Chair/Academic Year Coordinator
Junior, Philosophy
he/him
Hey y’all! My name is Harper and I’m a junior from Towson, MD. If you see me around campus, I would love to talk to you about bikes, books, and punk music. I have always been an outdoorsy person, but fell in love with backpacking when I went for the first time in high school. When the weather is nice you can find me hammocking in Kogan or reading a book outside trying to convince myself I’m not in a city. My favorite state is West Virginia (ecologically :o) and I would love to convert you too. Can’t wait to see y’all around campus or on trail!
Leddy S.
DIA Co-Chair
Junior, Public Health & Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
he/they
Hey y’all! I’m Leddy, originally from Charleston, South Carolina. I love being outdoors, whether I’m hiking, backpacking, surfing, or camp counseling. When I’m not guiding a TRAiLS trip, you can find me playing guitar, working an EMT shift, or chasing rats in the street.
Guides
Adrianna C.
Senior, Environmental and Sustainability Science, Minor in GIS
she/her
Hi Guys! I am a senior here at GW studying environmental science. On campus, you can usually find me hanging at the GroW garden or throwing pottery. Whereas, on trail, my favorite pastimes are practicing knot-tying and taking pictures. Since becoming a TRAiLS guide I have been able to go on new adventures and make lasting memories along the way. I am so excited for the upcoming year and can’t wait to see YOU on a trail!
Arlo S.
Senior, Civil Engineering, Minor in Sustainability
they/he
Hello! My name is Arlo and I am from southern New Hampshire and northern California (yay bicoastal). On campus I love biking around, listening to music, hammocking, cooking, and walking dogs. I am also apart of GW club softball and climbing! A fun fact about me is my favorite trees are redwoods because they hold hands to remain vertical... also I dressed up as one in my fourth grade wax museum (general sherman🕺). So excited to meet you all!
Breanna W.
Senior, International Affairs & German
she/her
Hey! My name is Breanna and I’m from Long Island, NY. I’ve been a GW TRAiLS Guide since freshman year, and I love getting to explore the outdoors while meeting new people. In DC you can find me walking around the mall, chatting with friends in Kogan or studying outside by the GW deli. Some of my favorite outdoor activities include hiking, swimming or simply having a picnic with friends!
Cassidy M.
Senior, Business Analytics & German
she/her
Hey! I'm Cassidy from Richmond, VA. When I'm not in the woods somewhere, you can find me taking long walks around the city (procrastinating work), reading in Kogan (procrastinating work), or trying out new coffee shops (still procrastinating work). Some of my favorite outdoor activities are biking, skiing, and of course, hammocking. Can't wait to see you on trail!
Dani T.
Junior, Political Science
she/her
Hi!! My name is Dani, I’m originally from Fort Collins, CO. In my free time you’ll find me anywhere outside, but usually asleep in my hammock. I also really enjoy rock climbing and rafting! Outside of TRAiLS I love reading and spending time with friends tearing it up in the city.
Emma F.
Sophomore, Political Science, Minor in History
she/her
Hi, my name is Emma and I'm from the suburbs of Chicago! I love all things outdoors and travel, especially going backpacking, swimming, and hammocking. In my free time I love to read, watch movies, and spend time with friends. One of my favorite outdoor experiences is getting to spend my summers working at a summer camp in Michigan. Can't wait to see everyone outside soon!
George HC.
Junior, International Affairs
she/they
Hey y'all! I'm from the San Francisco Bay area and I grew up hanging out among the redwoods. I take every opportunity to escape to the forest to go backpacking, hiking, and rock climbing. I can usually be found hammocking in Kogan or laying in any grass I can find! If you see me, come say hi and I will tell you all about the podcast I'm currently obsessed with. Excited to meet y'all on a trip or at GBM!
Grace S.
Junior, Art History & Psychology
she/her
Hi everyone! My name is Grace and I'm uniquely from New Jersey. Even though some people might not think so, there are some beautiful trails (and beaches) in NJ that are great for hiking and swimming, which I love to take advantage of. I love to travel and hope to do as much of it as possible, so if anyone has any destination recs send them my way!! Some of my favorite things to do in my free time are listen to music, watch TV, paint, hang out with my friends, and, of course, go outside! I hope to see you on trail! :)
Isabella R.
Senior, International Affairs
she/her
Hi everyone!! I'm Isabella, from Boston MA (aka the best city evah)! I've just spent the past 3 semesters abroad but CAN'T wait to be back on trail with everyone <3 !! There is so much wonderful exploring to be done together, and I'm excited to meet you all to soak in some nature, chit chat about hiking, life, love, (or anything else you desire), munch on trail mix (arguably the best part of hiking) and more! See you SO soon on trail :))
Jenna B.
Junior, French & Communications, Minor in Arabic
she/her
Hello hello! My name is Jenna and I’m from Bend, Oregon. Some of my favorite activities include being outdoors, telling people I’m from Oregon, going to concerts, making coffee, and playing soccer. Something I am excited for this year is exploring more of DC and Shenandoah National Park! I can’t wait to meet you all. I’ll see you outside!
JJ R.
Junior
he/him
Kate R.
Junior, Biology, Minor in Psychological and Brain Sciences
she/her
Hey guys! My name is Kate, and I am from the beautiful Chattanooga, Tennessee. I love all things outdoors, especially anything on the water. My favorite activities are surfing, kayaking, hiking, and running. In D.C., you can find me walking along the Georgetown waterfront spending time by the river. Can't wait to see you on the trail!
Katie E.
Junior, Accounting, Minor in Hospitality Management
she/her
Hi, y'all! I am originally from armadillo country, Austin, Texas. In my free time, I like to watercolor, garden, and bake, especially bagels. My most recent gardening endeavor has been growing microgreens in cardboard boxes, which I would highly recommend giving a shot if you’re bored as it’s pretty fun to watch all the little sprouts grow. One of my favorite outdoor activities is taking a walk in the rain, especially in the summer because I love to watch all the raindrops hit the trees, plus it’s always fun to splash in a puddle!
Maryana S.
Junior, Geography & Economics, Minor in GIS & Data Science
she/her
Hi my name is Maryana! I am from just outside of Philly. You can often find me outside, with my airpods in, munching on a delicious snack or drinking copious amounts of coffee. See you on trail!
Michael W.
Sophomore, Accounting
he/him
Hi! I’m Michael and I am from just outside of Chicago. I love the outdoors and doing new things! Something about GW Trails that I love is how we offer so many types of trips, and through Trails I was able to go Skydiving!! In my free time, I really enjoy relaxing while watching TV or just sitting down to read with a book. I hope to see you on an trip and please say hi!!
Morgan L.
Senior, Accounting & Data Science
she/her
Hi y’all!!! I’m Morgan!!! I love to ski, surf, scuba dive, travel, and meet new people. When I’m not outdoors, I’m reading architectural digest, baking with friends, and playing sudoku.
Nathan M.
Sophomore
he/him
Nina K.
Sophomore, International Affairs & Business
she/her
Hi!! My name is Nina Kightlinger and i’m from beautiful Boulder, Colorado! I love to go running, hiking, skiing, paddle boarding, and absolutely anything in the outdoors. On campus you can find me on a capital share bike, walking on the national mall, drinking an insane amount of coffee and spending time with friends! Can’t wait to see you all on the trail and on campus!
Paul L.
Senior, Environmental and Sustainability Science
he/him
Hello! My name is Paul and I am from Northern California (Petaluma, an hour north of SF). Back home, I love mountain climbing in the Sierra Nevadas, backpacking on the coast, and camping in the redwoods. Here, I love exploring the Virginia countryside and climbing peaks in Shenandoah. On campus, I am a club tennis player, storyteller for Planet Forward, and science communicator for a marine ecology lab. My passions include photography, filmmaking, journaling, and running. Happy TRAiLS!
Yami A.
Human Services and Social Justice
she/her
Hi!! My name is Yami and I’m from Pennsylvania. I love music, drawing, reading (looking for recs), and nice walks around both DC and PA. Some outdoor activities I love are swimming, biking, and playing soccer. I am very excited for TRAiLS this year and hope to see you on a trip!
Spencer W.
Junior, Environmental Studies, Minor in Political Science and Spanish
he/him
Hey y'all! I am a third year environmental studies major from Colorado. When I am not on trail you can find me fly fishing the mountain creeks of my home state, cooking up meals (you gotta try dorm ribs), and watching baseball. On campus I like to go to the gym, lay in the sun in Kogan, go to the deli (sausage double-egg and cheese on sesame), and playing catch in U-Yard.
Sylvia C.
Senior, Political Science, Religion, & Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
she/her
Hi! My name is Sylvia and I hail from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. I love being outside year round whether it’s running, skiiing, climbing, or pretty much anything else under the sun. On campus you can typically find me studying next to a window or, weather permitting, in Kogan Plaza. Can’t wait to see you on trail!