Lora G

Lora’s love for the outdoors began early in her youth. Her parents initiated the spark by teaching her to ski, enrolling her in Girl Scouts, and road tripping to a new national park (or four) every summer. As a curious child, these experiences inspired an eagerness to explore within Lora. Always looking for the next adventure, she spent most of her childhood in Connecticut playing outdoors and as she grew older, she took to seeking any opportunity to ski, hike, run, and discover new landscapes.

In pursuit of these opportunities, Lora chose to attend college in a small mountain town in New Hampshire. During Lora’s time at Plymouth State University, she worked with youth in a multitude of settings. She taught swimming and skiing lessons in addition to facilitating leadership programs at a variety of ropes courses across New England. Most impactful for Lora was a volunteer position she held throughout her four collegiate years at a local youth center for at-risk adolescents. In her final year, Lora completed her field placement at a school and residential center for children and teenagers with neurobehavioral and emotional challenges. There, she worked with the ISO foster care & community-based services department, as well as the outdoor education program. Lora graduated from PSU in May 2019 with a concentration in adventure education and a BS in social work.

Ready to begin her career, Lora sought out wilderness therapy, viewing it as a beautiful blend of philosophies from both adventure education and social work. Furthermore, it combined her passions for group work, experiential learning, and working with struggling adolescents. Lora searched for an organization whose approach valued the same theories she did: strength-based theory, empowerment theory, and family systems theory. Elements was the perfect match.

When Lora is not at work, she enjoys skiing, hiking, running, seeking new adventures, and befriending as many dogs as possible.