Alumni Profiles

Wondering whether your interest in the outdoors could someday earn you a paycheck? Read on! SUNY Plattsburgh EXP students gain valuable real-world experience that leads to professional positions.

Andrew Villalobos, Class of ’22

Paddling and Outreach Coordinator, The Bronx River Alliance
B.S. in Expeditionary Studies

After graduation, Andrew started working as a sea kayak guide and instructor for several outfitters in the northeast, leading trips in the Hudson Valley and multi-day expeditions in mid-coast Maine. Today, his work finds him primarily in the New York City area, where he is the full-time paddling and outreach coordinator for the Bronx River Alliance, a non-profit focused on protecting and restoring the Bronx River.

Andrew’s work includes leading paddling trips for local residents and running community outreach programs that help people connect with their local waterway. Whether paddling past The Statue of Liberty or organizing events in the Bronx, Andrew notes that expeditionary studies “played a big role in preparing me for the work I do, giving me the foundation to grow into a leader in the field.”

Sierra McGivney, Class of ’21

Content Coordinator, American Alpine Club (AAC)
B.S. in Expeditionary Studies

One week after graduating, Sierra was working as an ice climbing and glacial hiking guide in the Wrangell-St-Elias National Park. At the end of the climbing season there, she accepted her current role with the American Alpine Club, an organization she was familiar with from reading their annual publication, Accidents in North American Climbing, in her expeditionary studies climbing classes.

Sierra’s work includes running AAC’s social media accounts, writing for the AAC podcast, and editing and producing their monthly Prescription videos. None of this, according to Sierra, “would have been possible without my climbing and outdoor living skills classes.”

Sierra’s writing has been featured on Climbing.com, the adirondackalmanac.com, and Adirondackeplorer.com.

Alex LaLonde, Class of ’18

Adventurer, Leader and Owner at Body Boat Blade, Anacortes, Washington
B.S. in Expeditionary Studies

Having worked as a paddling and climbing guide before graduating, Alex expanded his horizons after graduating, working in Scotland and completing a challenging two-month pack-rafting expedition in Nepal.

Eventually finding himself working as a sea kayak guide in Washington State, Alex now owns and leads one of the premier kayak guide services in North America, Body Boat Blade. In high demand for his teaching and kayaking skills, and his accessible and gentle style and demeanor, Alex travels to Mexico, Iceland, and U.S. locales to teach kayakers of all skill levels.

For Alex, the outcomes of his time in expeditionary studies “shaped his adaptability, resilience, and strategic thinking-qualities that continue to guide my leadership in business and adventure.”

Tommy Price, Class of ’17

Camp Director, Avid4Adventure, Boulder, Colorado
Supervisor, Children’s Learning Center, Mt. Hood, Oregon
B.S. in Expeditionary Studies

“Expeditionary studies started my outdoor career.” Initially working as a rappelling and via ferrata guide in the Adirondacks, Tommy taught skiing and snowboarding at Jay Peak, Vermont for two years before moving to Oregon, as a result of a job lead posted on The EXP Facebook page by another alum.

Initially leading small groups of kids paddle boarding and climbing, Tommy advanced to his role as camp director for Avid4Adventure. He followed a similar path of advancement at Mt. Hood Meadows, where he started as a snowsports instructor and now serves as supervisor for The Children’s Learning Center. Like so many other graduates of the expeditionary studies program, Tommy points to specific aspects of his studies — “risk management awareness, critical thinking skills, and an ability to respond quickly to changing scenarios” — as invaluable to his career.

Maeghan Farnham, Class of ’15

Owner, St. Regis Outfitters, Saranac Lake
M.S. Sports and Recreation Administration, Eastern Washington University
B.S. Expeditionary Studies

After graduating with her master’s, Maeghan moved back to the Adirondacks where she worked at St. Regis Canoe Outfitters in Saranac Lake. Two years later, along with her business partner, she purchased the company and is building a new identity for that storied company. “Without a doubt, expeditionary studies provided me with the technical skills and knowledge and the problem solving skills I needed to work in my multi-faceted roles, in the past and certainly in the present.”

Maeghan has worked as a trekking guide in Chile, a sea kayak guide in the San Juan Islands, a paddling instructor in Massachusetts, and a school programs coordinator for an outdoor company in Seattle.

Gary Goldfinger, Class of ’13

Guidebook Author and Editor
Outdoor Educator and Guide
B.S. in Expeditionary Studies

An accomplished rock climber when he joined the department of expeditionary studies, Gary added high-level training and experiences in paddling and skiing to his preparation for working in the outdoors. As an outdoor educator and guide, he has traveled to over 100 countries, strengthening and expanding his network of EXP outdoor professionals. Today, one of his greatest pleasures in passing along his considerable knowledge to aspiring outdoor professionals of how to find employment in the international outdoor industry. He is the author of the recent guidebook, Ice Pond Bouldering, and is currently finishing a guidebook to bouldering in the Yosemite high country. During a recent visit to SUNY Plattsburgh as an “Alumni in the Classroom,” Gary noted that his current work as an independent author “leverages what I’ve learned at EXP in the planning and organization process, but just applying it differently.”

Chris Makowicki, Class of ’13

Lead Cycling Guide, Sojourn Bicycle Vacations
Lead Nordic Instructor, Olympic Sports Complex
Lead whitewater Guide, Adirondack Rafting Company
B.S. in Expeditionary Studies

In his first five years after graduation, Chris worked for a variety of guiding companies and ski resorts, traveling throughout the U.S. and also for work in Japan. Next up was four years working full-time as the lead guide at Mountain Lake Academy, a residential boarding school.

Today, Chris holds three full-time seasonal positions, all in lead roles. Whether leading bicycle tours, teaching Nordic skiing, or rafting down the Hudson River, Chris thrives in his leadership roles. This fits neatly with something he learned from the EXP faculty who showed him that “leadership is not just a role — it’s a skill honed over time through experience, reflection, and a passion for the journey.”

Bobby O’Connor, Class of ’13

Adventure Sports Program Director, The Northwoods School, Lake Placid
M.S. in Expeditionary Studies, 2016
B.S. in Expeditionary Studies

“My entire life trajectory changed when I enrolled in the expeditionary studies degree program.”

After completing both an undergraduate and graduate degree in expeditionary studies, Bobby parlayed his studies into two dream jobs. The first was as lead instructor in Outdoor Adventure Recreation at Paul Smiths College. The second, his current position, is as director of adventure sports at the Northwoods School in Lake Placid.

As a student, Bobby was one of the few expeditionary studies students to complete the climbing, skiing, and paddling concentrations, a combination of thinking, skills, and decision-making that has made him highly marketable as a outdoor leader. In his time off from teaching, Bobby guides professionally and pursues high-end professional certifications.

Charlie Stewart, Class of ’13

Senior Manager and Ski Patroller, Crystal Mountain Resort, Washington
B.S. in Expeditionary Studies

Charlie has been working in the outdoor industry since graduating with his expeditionary studies degree. After a few years gaining the experience and mindset to become a lead guide, he headed up a heliski operation in Alaska. During the “off seasons,” he led expeditions in South America and Africa. Today, he holds a leadership role with Crystal Mountain Resort, allowing him to apply creative thinking to new outdoor programming. What expeditionary studies offered Charlie, in his own words, was a “kickstart in shaping my mindset early on, encouraging resilience, adaptability and a global perspective that has been essential in my career experiences and development.”

Andy Mossey, Class of ’12

Executive Director, Woodstock Land Conservancy
B.S. in Expeditionary Studies

It was Andy’s love for the outdoors that led him to expeditionary studies. As Andy put it, “my love for the outdoors was nurtured by expeditionary studies and with it, the skills necessary to succeed in professional spaces.”

Completing his degree in 2012, Andy was a rock and ice climbing guide across the northeast. His next position found him traveling the lower 48 for the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, where he provided education and consultation to the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service and numerous state conservation agencies.

Before beginning work in his current role, Andy created an educational stewardship program at the Catskill Center. Today, as executive director for the Woodstock Land Conservancy, Andy advocates for the environment at the local, state and national level.

Mark Pugliese, Class of ’12

Firefighter, Salt Lake City
Climbing and Ski Guide
B.S. in Expeditionary Studies

Like many EXP graduates, Mark packed his bags immediately after graduation and began a seven-year trajectory as a guide. First guiding for Mountain Madness in Alaska and the North Cascades, Mark’s leadership and climbing skills soon found him leading expeditions in Nepal, Tanzania, Ecuador, Argentina, and Russia, as well as continuing to guide throughout the U.S. Looking to spend more time in one place, Mark found that his mountain and leadership experiences made for an easy transition to firefighting. He continues to guide part-time, including for his former college department. Looking through the lens of his current work, Mark notes that “EXP showed me a different way to look at the world…”

Tova Soroka, Class of ’12

Lead Design Operations Manager, The Mayo Clinic
B.S. in Expeditionary Studies

Tova kick-started her career in the outdoors while an undergraduate, having taught and guided in Michigan, Washington, and Alaska before finishing her degree. When she graduated, she expanded her world, running programs in Wyoming, Costa Rica, Hong Kong and California.

Eventually moving from fieldwork to management, Tova oversaw training, hiring and logistics for an outdoor school in California, which led her to the tech world.

In her current role for the Mayo Clinic, and previously at Microsoft, Tova realized that her decade of work in the outdoors, in combination with her expeditionary studies degree, gave her a core set of skills which remain a foundation. As Tova acknowledges, “expeditionary studies gave me skills I needed for working in tech: understanding communication styles, navigating ambiguity, assessing challenges in real time and leading with empathy. These aren’t just guiding skills; they’re what I use everyday.”

Aaron DiMartino, Class of ’09

Senior Operations Director, Tandana Foundation, Medellín, Colombia
M.S. in Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration
B.S. in Expeditionary Studies

For Aaron, expeditionary studies offered a focus and grounding, preparing him, as he said “for anything and everything the world [could] throw at me.“ After graduation, he headed west where he was a wildland firefighter on a Type 1 Hotshot crew and then joined the Peace Corps for a two-year stint in Ecuador. When he returned to the U.S., Aaron taught science and English to first-generation high school students for a non-profit in Yosemite National Park.

Education beckoned and Aaron earned a master’s degree in recreation, park and tourism from Western Illinois University. This prepared him for a role with his current employer, The Tandana Foundation, which supports intercultural relationships between indigenous Ecuadorians and North Americans.