Luke was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, growing up amongst the green spaces and frigid winters of the Twin Cities, while spending summers canoeing and camping in the north woods of Minnesota and Canada. From an early age, he was been taught to place a high value on new experiences, so for college he left the rivers and forests of the Midwest in favor of the mountains of Vermont, and Middlebury College. My first taste of international travel and formal teaching came simultaneously; in the summer of 2012, I ventured to the plains of Nepal to teach primary school lessons to young Buddhist monks while exploring the country’s rich culture and history.

After graduating from Middlebury in 2013, Luke decided to take a gap year of his own, traveling through and volunteering in India and New Zealand for seven months, all the while nurturing his love for education and travel. Upon returning Luke combined his love of the outdoors, education, and science by working as a Field Instructor for Teton Science Schools in Jackson, WY. where he gained invaluable teaching experience by bringing school groups on trips into Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. When he wasn’t teaching, he spent my free time skiing, mountaineering, canyoneering, and otherwise exploring the beautiful American west in any way possible.