Four Trails Manager
Mads grew up in East Lansing, Michigan and was introduced to AYF programming as a Miniwanca Community and School Programs participant in 2006. Soon after, they attended Miniwanca Girls Camp programming for six years and were a seasonal staff member for three.
Mads earned a degree in biology from Earlham College where they also got their start in outdoor education, which was inspired by their profoundly impactful experiences at Miniwanca. After Earlham, Mads worked as a field instructor for a wilderness therapy program and the Philadelphia Outward Bound School, as well as a brief stint back at Earlham for a post-baccalaureate fellowship in outdoor education. These positions showed them the transformative power of outdoor education for youth and adults in many different contexts.
After four years of full-time expedition guiding, Mads was thrilled to join the Merrowvista team as the Four Trails Program Manager. Mads currently resides in Philadelphia, where they enjoy climbing, trail running, and doing their own oil changes.