Amy J

Amy is from the endless mountain region of Pennsylvania, where she spent her childhood on her parent’s 68 acre property. Amy’s love for the west begin in 3rd grade when her dad retired and took her on a road trip to many national parks where they camped and hiked. This sort of trip became a yearly event crossing thousands of miles each summer to visit national parks with her family.

Amy first fell in love with backpacking when she took it as a class in community college. The class took a trip to the Adirondacks and the guide got them lost for a few days in the snow. Amy loved the experience and brought her sister to the Adirondacks after the class to summit some of the region’s high peaks. After finishing community college, Amy moved to Philadelphia and attended Temple University, graduating with a Bachelor of Social Work in 2016. While at Temple, Amy did her field placement at the Center for Social Policy and Community Development, which serves some of Philadelphia’s at-risk-youth population. She taught Life skills and career development classes as well as providing guidance counseling, and case management.

After college, Amy went to Europe for a few months. She completed a work away at a hostel in Prague, Czech Republic and built a straw bale house in Normandy, France. She did several more road trips to backpack in places like the Tetons and the Redwoods post-college. Amy found the position at Elements as a melting pot of her passions and career goals. While in the field, Amy enjoys utilizing her education and Elements’ therapeutic models to run new and interesting groups. She loves leading cross-country hikes and finds appreciation in the scenery and the process of being out there. When Amy’s not in the field you can find her hula hooping, hiking, thrifting, canyoneering, snowboarding, or on a road trip.