GirlVentures Instructors

Instructors
Our instructional staff consists of highly trained educators and group facilitators with expertise in the arts, outdoor adventure, and the unique needs of diverse adolescent girls. They are passionate about their commitment to girls and their safety. All of our instructors have their Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder certification. Read more about our instructors below!

Assistant Instructors
This group of young women is comprised of some of the most dedicated GirlVentures alumnae there are. All have completed Project Courage and Transitions as students and have returned to take on the challenge of stepping into the role of the instructor. Read more about our Assistant Instructors, part of our Leadership Development Program, below.

Thanks to our 2008 Instructors!

Mary Ann Brooks is an outdoor educator specializing in creative arts and multi-cultural education. What she loves best is being a body in motion and passing on her movement knowledge to others. She lives in San Francisco in a vibrant artist collective and spends countless hours discusssing hte ideological cross sections of politics, film, art, and dance.

Robyn Bryers is the ultimate outdoor professional. From scaling big peaks to rowing huge rapids and tackling open sea crossings in a kayak, she has done it all. Robyn graduated with a degree in Outdoor Experiential Education from Prescott College and has been the program director for a non-profit outdoor school in Prescott, Arizona since 2005. When Robyn is not busy floating somewhere in North America, she can be found co-directing the annual WEB (Woman's Empowerment Breakthrough) Conference held each year for teenage girls in Arizona.

Cori Coccia is a graduate of The Audobon Expedition Institute's Environmental Education Master's program and is currently working as an environmental educator at the Headlands Institute.

Kalyca Green is an enthusiastic outdoor educator, and full time teacher at a Montessori elementary school in Sacramento. In her free time, she reads, rows, explores outdoors and enjoys her family and friends, including Harvey.

Elaine Lee lives in Santa Cruz where she works as a massage therapist, climbing guide and instructor.  In her free time she climbs, runs, surfs, plays with her dogs, and dreams about anatomy.

Sarah McKay is the manager of Vertex Climbing Center. She takes lots of road trips in Wanda, her VW camper bus. She recently completed her master's degree in Kinesiology, with analysis of the way women climbers are represented in the media. She lives in a great town in a house built in 1915, whichshe is currently renovating herself. Her husband, Rob and she will be laborers in the project; she is excited to learn a lot about carpentry! Sarah lives with Rob, their dog Barley, and their two cats, Virgil and Mooji.

Elizabeth Reiff is a student, teacher, gardener and printmaker who would rather be outside in any weather. She collects free time and then spends it doing yoga, hiking, making things, riding her bike and learning how to guide whitewater rafts.  

Jenn Schulzitski has been working with GirlVentures since 2004 as a sea kayak specialist. When not on course with GirlVentures, Jenn works for Point Reyes Outdoors.

Kirsten Sequoia brings nine years of experience working with GirlVentures as a rock climbing specialist. This summer marked Kirsten’s first journey as an instructor for the August Transitions course. Kirsten is a fire fighter who also enjoys hiking, running, backpacking, surfing, and gardening.

Our 2008 Assistant Instructors were amazing!

Natalia Centeno is 18 years old and hails from Lima, Peru. She attends Hillsdale High School and College of San Mateo. She is a Transitions alumnae and was an alumnae speaker at the Empower Girl Power Breakfast Fundraiser in 2006. She was a member of the Girls Advisory Board and continues to volunteer for GirlVentures at events. She loves listening to music and hanging out with her family. She is very excited for this upcoming summer!

Iris Guyot-Nagel, an alumna of Transitions in 2005, is a 17 year old junior at Nevada Union High School in Grass Valley. She loves her summer fun and adventures in the great outdoors. She also enjoys playing soccer most of the year.

Lily Lai is proud to be involved with GirlVentures for the fourth year in a row. She is an alumna of Transitions 2003 and was an Assistant Instructor for Project Courage this past July.  Lily is also involved with the Girls Advisory Board. This fall Lily will be finishing her high school years at Abraham Lincoln High in the Sunset District. Her plans include being an Assistant Instructor for Grilz Climb On and making it through her senior year without too much senioritis.  

Lily Nguyen,an alumna of Project Courage ’03 and Transitions ’04, is a 16-year old junior at Cate School in Southern California.  She was the super cool Assistant Instructor on the June 2006 Project Courage Course (aka the Best Course Ever!). Lily is awesome because she has a sixth sense for “nature lovin’”.

Angelica Ochoa has been involved with GirlVentures as a participant on and as a returning AI for Transitions, as well as the office intern.  Angelica is a recipient of the PG&E’s Women’s Network Employee Association scholarship. This fall, she is looking forward to exploring her way from the Rockies to Ecuador for 81 days with Outward Bound.

Our 2008 summer Logistics Team rocked!

Emma Laughlin will enter her senior year at Stanford University this fall where she is actively involved with Amnesty International and the campus wide Sustainable Living Council. Emma is originally from Montana and in her free time she enjoys debating politics, running, backpacking, playing tennis and is currently learning how to rock climb.

Michelle Lovejoy is a full time K-8th grade physical education teacher during the school year.  She is also currently working on her Masters Degree in Recreation Administration from San Francisco State University.