Staff

Colin Carpenter

Colin has worked for ARC for 4 years, instructing in both the Lake Tahoe and Yosemite programs. He brings a wealth of outdoor experience, specializing in rafting, kayaking, and general logistical mayhem. When not romping in the mountains, Colin lives in Berkeley with his lovely partner Kristen and their semi-wild hound, Mojo. Colin also loves to make music, films, photographs and other spontaneous acts of creativity.

Katie D.
Katie is passionate about expression.  She is a poet, dancer, singer and textile artist in her spare time and spends her full time either teaching English or Spanish or taking classes in pursuit of a Master of Education.  ARC has given Katie a wonderful group of students, staff and community with which to dream and create, and a stage on which to inspire.  ARC is about connections, bridges between languages, people, cultures, thoughts and actions, who you are and who you will be, what you never thought and what you never thought possible.  It’s wonderful to be involved.
Dylan Farnsworth
After graduating from the University of Oregon in 2007, Dylan moved to Truckee to work within the community and help preserve the landscape that fostered his love for the Sierra during childhood. Throughout four seasons, he can be found on Donner Summit skiing and riding his bicycle when not brainstorming new ways to reconnect people to the hills and each other.
 

Eve Giovenco

With a great passion for supporting others in their personal growth, Eve has tutored, mentored, advised, and guided students in writing and creative arts. For many years she managed family programming and activities for an outdoor resort. Now, excited by the powerful potential of lifting students to a higher level of self-awareness, personal achievement, leadership, and service, Eve has the pleasure of writing grants and developing funding sources in support of ARC. In addition, Eve has a private practice as a life coach, and believes that the greatest ADVENTURE is to dive into the heart of an issue; the greatest RISK is to be true to your essential self; and the greatest CHALLENGE is to find your own north star. She delights in making the world a more beautiful and delicious place, through gardening, textile arts, writing, cooking, and creative living.


Jennifer Gurecki
Jen is as passionate about education as she is the outdoors. Her path has led her through traditional classrooms to wilderness therapy programs, to rural villages in Kenya, and finally to ARC. Jen was named the Director in June of 2009, and she is blessed to be working with such a dynamic staff and inspirational youth. In her spare time, you can find her on the slopes, behind a set of oars, or contemplating how to make the world a better place. Jen holds a Masters in Non-Formal Education from Prescott College and a BS in Print Journalism from Northern Arizona University.

Sarah Cupery Ottley
Sarah fell in love with Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada as a freshman in college.  Discovering the career of environmental/wilderness education gave her even more of an excuse to transplant from the Midwest to California after college.  Sarah spent most of her seven years as an environmental educator at Yosemite Institute, and a move for the sake of her husband, Graham, helped her to discover ARC.  Sarah came on as the Course Director of the new site in Yosemite in 2009.  After one summer immersion program with incredible instructors and students she immersed herself in the challenge of helping to create year-round programming for her students in Merced County.  ARC has given Sarah the opportunity to experience external and internal adventures, to take mental and emotional risks, and to be challenged and grow personally and professionally.  Sarah loves to be outside and prefers to be in wildness, especially with Graham.  She enjoys almost every venue for experiencing natural beauty.  Her newest passions are gardening and raising chickens.  On the side she uses her Bachelor of Music degree singing and playing fiddle in a string band.