Outdoor Lab Interns of 2019
By: Mary Runkel
Did you know that each semester, ten young adults, usually still in high school or college, serve at each Outdoor Lab School?
Get to know the influential young leaders and what brought them to Outdoor Lab! As we post their stories on social media, we will add their biographies to this page. Stay tuned to see your favorite interns! Read more below!
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Meet Natalie Gibbons
High School: Lakewood
Outdoor Lab School: Mount Evans
“Outdoor Lab has given me my happiness back,” says Natalie Gibson, current intern at Mount Evans Outdoor Lab School. “It is such a healthy environment with such good people who do everything in their power to make you feel supported.”
Natalie heard about the Outdoor Lab Internship when she went up as a high school leader. She was “taken under the wing” by Ms. Orlando, a past intern, who showed her how to be an intern and explained why it was a good opportunity.
It was Natalie’s senior year, so she used it as a good reason to take a gap year. She says when she found out she got the internship, she was “absolutely ecstatic.”
A former attendee of Lakewood High School, she’s already a dental assistant and plans to become a dentist after earning her bachelor’s degree in biology.
Way to go, Natalie! Thank you for your time this year… we can’t wait to see what you do next!
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Meet Chloe Rogoff
High School: Green Mountain
Outdoor Lab School: Mount Evans
"As an intern, I hope to give each and every kid that comes up onto this mountain at least one wonderful memory to carry with them for the rest of their lives," says Chloe Rogoff, a current intern at Mount Evans Outdoor Lab.
She knows that all kids might not enjoy Outdoor Lab or the mountains the way she does, and that's ok. She believes that if each student has at least one positive, impactful memory of the place, it could make a difference for the future of the program.
Chloe attended Outdoor Lab as a sixth-grade student, loved serving as a high school leader and couldn't wait for the next step up... so she applied for the internship!
"I don't know what I would do if Outdoor Lab weren't a part of my life," she continues. "It has made me a happier, healthier and more empathetic person."
What's next? A self-proclaimed biology and anatomy nerd, Chloe wants to attend the University of Washington for medical school.
Thank you, Chloe. For serving this program and for all the impact you'll have on the future of our world!
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Meet Preston Fleukiger
High School: Chatfield
Outdoor Lab School: Mount Evans
“The majority of my decision to become an intern was on the back of a love for the outdoors, working with kids and to try something new,” says Preston Fluekiger, a current intern up at Mount Evans Outdoor Lab.
And as time passes, Outdoor Lab has become more than that… “I have also started building another whole family,” he explains. “It has really opened my eyes to the outdoors, nature and other people.”
Like many, Preston heard about the internship when he served as a high school leader, and before that, he attended Outdoor Lab as a 6th grade student. As an intern, he hopes to make a difference by making the program better for future interns… and by giving every kid that he can the best experience possible.
What’s next for Preston? He knows he wants to go to college, he’s just not sure for what yet… he might try and become a US Forest Ranger. We think that’s a great choice!
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Preston! And BEST OF LUCK in the years to come.
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Meet Charlie Wiebeck
High School: Arvada West
Outdoor Lab School: Mount Evans
Charlie Wiebeck was high school leader at Mount Evans Outdoor Lab when he realized he wanted more. To be more involved. To impact more children and help them grow. That’s why he became an intern.
He says Outdoor Lab has allowed him to enjoy his senior year in a positive way—it gives him the opportunity to be a teacher, instead of being taught in a traditional classroom. He likes teaching archery and physics and hopes to help kids become better stewards of the environment.
Currently a senior at Arvada West, Wiebeck plans to attend a trade school to become an underwater welder.
Thank you, Charlie, for your time and your leadership. Cheers to your next adventure!
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Meet Adam Scott
High School: Conifer
Outdoor Lab School: Mount Evans
Outdoor Lab is the reason Adam Scott wants to be a teacher. He wants to teach mathematics, to be specific. He’s had phenomenal teachers that inspired him to teach and join the Outdoor Lab intern program.
A current senior at Conifer Senior High School, Adam wanted to make a difference at Outdoor Lab by making personal connections with both high school leaders and 6th grade students. He hoped to make it a great week for all that attend.
What’s more? Though Adam wants to be a teacher during the school year, in the summer he wants to work in a restaurant as a chef. He was inspired to work in the culinary business by a mentor in a restaurant.
Thank you for your leadership, Adam! Keep in touch during your next journey!
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Meet Lauren Johnson
High School: Ralston Valley
Outdoor Lab School: Windy Peak
"It's something that has always made me smile and it's where I truly feel like myself," says intern Lauren Johnson, known by students as 'Ms. Jonas', like the Jonas Brothers. She’s at Windy Peak this semester.
Lauren came to Outdoor Lab as a high school leader and knew the magic then, but the influence of her neighbor helped too—as a former intern himself, he told her how much fun it was.
She says she doesn’t like being stuck in classrooms- and that the ‘outdoorsy’ experience helps her teach the way she loves to. Through her Outdoor Lab experience, she hopes to inspire kids or high school leaders to help them realize that they really do make the world a better place.
What’s next? Lauren really wants to go into special education teaching— something she’s focused on since she took a Unified Theater class and found a love for special education teaching.
Way to go, Lauren! We can’t wait to see what you do. Best of luck in your next chapter!
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Meet Joy Sealy
High School: Columbine
Outdoor Lab School: Mount Evans
Joy decided to be an intern after making strong personal connections with the interns during multiple stints as a high school leader. A student at Columbine High School, she is just finishing up her internship at Mount Evans Outdoor Lab.
Outdoor Lab has given Joy a chance to make a difference in the lives of different kids each week... she feels like she has accomplished something if she can give at least one kid a good week each time a school comes up. Her experience has also given her a chance to grow her confidence and allowed her to be a part of things that are bigger than what's around her at home.
What's next? She's going to do a study abroad program called 'Semester at Sea' to kick off her college career at Colorado State University.
Thank you for your service, Joy! Have fun at sea!
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Meet Tyler Capra
High School: Wheat Ridge
Outdoor Lab School: Windy Peak
Tyler Capra knew Outdoor Lab was the place for him in some shape or form when he served his week as a high school leader. This influenced him to apply for and complete his internship at Windy Peak.
Outdoor Lab provided him with an incredibly large family that he says he can depend on with no questions asked. It allowed him the opportunity to grow as a person while developing leadership skills.
With his time at Outdoor Lab, he hoped to make some changes to the Hydrosphere class because water is a resource humanity can’t live without. He wanted to teach the importance of it.
For much if high school, Tyler says he had no direction. “Outdoor Lab unlocked a passion I had deep inside,” he explains. Next he plans to attend UNC or CU Denver to pursue a career in elementary and junior high education.
Tyler, thanks for all you’ve done for Outdoor Lab. We can’t wait to see what you do next.
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Meet Coleton Carroll
High School: Green Mountain
Outdoor Lab School: Mount Evans
Coleton Carroll just finished his internship at Mount Evans Outdoor Lab.
He learned about the internship through a friend who served as an intern.
He went into it hoping to use his knowledge and experience to help kids out and even adults to have the confidence to go and help others - sort of like passing it on.
Coleton says Outdoor Lab has changed his life path and has guided him to decide that he wants to help others out as a career.
A senior at Green Mountain High School, he plans to attend college to become a nurse.
Thanks for your time and energy, Coleton! Best of luck with your next step.
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Meet Abby Sherrod
High School: Wheat Ridge
Outdoor Lab School: Windy Peak
As the year winds down, we want to share more about these amazing interns that allow the Outdoor Lab program to function. They are our current and future leaders!
Meet Abby. Abby Sherrod is a senior at Wheat Ridge High School who just finished her semester as an intern at Windy Peak Outdoor Lab. She learned about the internship through being a high school leader.
Outdoor Lab has given her a new family while allowing her to see the great outdoors every single day.
She hopes to inspire kids to do better in life, as well as give new chances to leaders and kids.
Next, she plans to go to community college and then onto a university. Though undecided, she knows she’d like to go into management or some kind of leadership.
Thank you, Abby! Please stay in touch!
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Meet Ben Wallace
High School: Evergreen
Outdoor Lab School: Mount Evans
Happy new year, everyone! We have another intern spotlight to share to celebrate. What better way is there?
Ben Wallace believes one week at Outdoor Lab has the power to impact a kid’s future as well as their future decisions.
He heard about the intern program through his older brother who was an intern for 2 semesters and finally decided to be an intern after serving as a high school leader. He thought it’d be a great introduction to teaching, which is something he wants to pursue.
While Outdoor Lab, Ben wanted to help as many kids as possible grow as people and figure out who they are. He wanted to give kids a positive and memorable experience, similar to the one he had as a 6th grade student.
A current senior at Evergreen High School, he just finished his internship at Mount Evans Outdoor Lab. He plans to go to college somewhere in Colorado and wants to pursue teaching. He’s always found helping people to be super rewarding, so he’s sure it’ll be a great fit.
Thanks for spending part of your senior with Outdoor Lab, Ben! Wishing you well on your next step.
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Meet Lilly Jacobs
High School: Pomona
Outdoor Lab School: Windy Peak
One reason Lillian Jacobs wanted to be an intern at Outdoor Lab was to help her figure out what she wanted to do with her life. She learned about it through being a high school leader and then utilized the internship as a step stone into college to help her decide a major.
Lilly graduated from Pomona High School and served her internship at Windy Peak. She wants to bring what she learns from her internship into her everyday life—and hopefully impact others with what she’s learned about self-awareness as well as the environment.
She says Outdoor Lab has given her a safe space to be herself. That it’s helping her learn awareness and empathy a little more. Outdoor Lab allows her to get in touch with her emotions and connect with people. And ultimately, learn more about herself.
She is currently going to Red Rocks Community College for her generals and plans to transfer to University of Colorado Boulder. Her major is yet undecided.
Thank you, Lilly! We wish you luck along your next journey!
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Meet Kate Majeres
High School: Green Mountain
Outdoor Lab School: Windy Peak
Kate Majeres decided to complete her Windy Peak Outdoor Lab internship as a way to take some time off of school while still doing something useful with it.
When she began, she aimed to affect students in a positive way and help them grow as people to see how amazing nature is and how life changing being a high school leader and intern can be.
Like most interns, she attended Outdoor Lab as a 6th grade student. She notes that as a 6th grade student, she was comfortable and happy, which led her to become a high school leader and eventually an intern.
Kate doesn't have any definite plans for next semester but knows she enjoys managing all things related to event management. She plans to either attend Northern Arizona University to study hotel and restaurant management or start an internship at a hotel for event management.
Thanks to you, Kate! Good luck and keep in touch.
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Meet Kyle Fanning
High School: Ralston Valley
Outdoor Lab School: Mount Evans
Kyle Fanning is proud of the person he is, in part due to his time spent at Outdoor Lab.
He learned about the internship through his brother who was also an intern, and after serving as a high school leader he decided it was time for him to be one as well.
Kyle reflects a lot about his Outdoor Lab experience. He says it has given him another kind of family and has allowed him to be a part of a fantastic group that are supportive in every way. He aims to take care of the program, to be a steward of his position, but also help other people see the importance of stewardship.
He says the 6th grade students have taught him so many things, like sometimes you have to smell the flowers. And how big of an impact we can make just by listening.
With his internship, he wanted to make sure that all people that attend Outdoor Lab, including 6th grade students, interns, high school leaders and other staff members have a meaningful experience.
A senior at Ralston Valley High School, Kyle just finished his internship at Mount Evans. Next, he plans to pursue teaching.
Way to go Kyle! Thank you for your enthusiasm and dedication! Best of luck in your next endeavors.
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Meet Abby Marsh
High School: Golden
Outdoor Lab School: Mount Evans
Abby Marsh became an intern because she wanted to help make kids' one week at Outdoor Lab special. She also wants to be a teacher and sees this as great experience before going off to college.
A graduate of Golden High School, Abby was at Mount Evans Outdoor Lab last semester.
Outdoor Lab has helped her get out of her shell and communicate with people that have different backgrounds and personalities than her. It taught her how to problem solve when things get rough. Overall, she says, what she has gained is priceless.
As an intern, she hoped to inspire 6th grade students and high school leaders to become more involved in their communities and environments. She wanted to make sure that each student that went had a week they will always remember.
Next, she plans to major in education, but isn't sure what kind of education yet. She has always been passionate about teaching and being around kids, ever since she was a kid herself!
Thanks for your time and energy, Abby. We hope you keep in touch.
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Meet Claire Silbernagel
High School: Pomona
Outdoor Lab School: Windy Peak
Claire Silbernagel, often referred to as “Silver”, recently finished her internship at Windy Peak Outdoor Lab. She was aware of the program from a young age, but didn’t make the decision to complete an internship until after high school.
Outdoor Lab is one of the reasons she feels such a connection to Earth and the outdoors. She believes that every Outdoor Lab experience she’s had - as a 6th grade student, a high school leader and as an intern - has opened her eyes to nature and education in a profound way.
She started the internship because she wanted to make an impact on kids just like how the program impacted her as a kid. She also wanted to help adults and children alike realize how important hands-on and active outdoor education can be.
She graduated from Pomona High School. Next, she plans to attend Red Rocks Community College and eventually move on to a larger university. She knows she wants to study science, likely environmental science, but she hasn’t nailed down the details yet.
Thanks for your hard work and passion, Claire. We wish you the best of luck!
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Meet Desiree Arnold
High School: Arvada West
Outdoor Lab School: Windy Peak
Outdoor Lab taught Desiree Arnold to be independent and caring, a better leader and a better friend to kids, high school students and coworkers.
She went to Arvada West High School and just finished her internship at Windy Peak. She chose to be an intern because she had so much fun with the kids during her time spent as a high school leader. She loved the hikes and all things in Outdoor Lab!
Her goal as an intern: to give kids a good week away from whatever their home life looks like to let them make memories with friends. She wanted to let kids explore who they are in a safe environment and get them out of their comfort zones. She also aimed to give them something to look forward to- becoming a high school leader someday.
Next, she plans to go to college, she's just not sure where yet. She wants to study business and open a cafe/ book store that will serve as a safe place for all people.
Thank you, Desiree. Cheers to your journey and to your next steps. Keep in touch!