This year, Blue Ridge Outdoors is excited to announce the inaugural launch of our college ambassador program! The following three college students will be hosting meet-ups, attending events, and spreading the B.R.O. love around campus, and we couldn’t be more stoked to have them on board!
This week, we sat down to talk with our new ambassadors about everything from dream jobs to peanut butter. Check out their responses below and be on the lookout for their first dispatches this week!
Kayla May
BRO: Where are you from originally (and where do you go to school now)?
KM: I am originally from Louisville, Ky., but attend school in Boone, N.C., at Appalachian State University.
BRO: How do you like to go outside and play?
KM: I love going on day hikes or weekend backpacking trips as often as I can.
BRO: Where is your favorite place/trail/river/etc. to play?
KM: My favorite spot is Calloway Peak. The hike is fairly long but the view is worth every step.
BRO: What is your earliest memory of being in the outdoors?
KM: I looked forward to my church’s summer camp every year. The camp was in Indiana and had hiking trails and a lot of lake activities that we could do. The best part about camp was going off the blob at the lake.
BRO: What are you currently studying?
KM: I am currently studying Public Relations with a minor in English.
BRO: Dream job?
KM: My dream job is to work as an event planner for a major league sports team.
BRO: Peanut butter or almond butter? This one’s important.
KM: Peanut butter! I used to eat a jar a week. It’s basically my lifeline.
Matt McGrady
BRO: Where are you from originally (and where do you go to school now)?
MM: I’m originally from Scranton, Pa., and yes that would be the very same Scranton depicted in The Office. Now I am attending Radford University in the heart of the New River Valley!
BRO: How do you like to go outside and play?
MM: When people ask me what I do, I tell them that I play outside. I’m always up for an adventure. You can usually find me working on a rock climbing project or chasing the fish in my kayak.
BRO: Where is your favorite place/trail/river/etc. to play?
MM: The New River Gorge has been my passion lately. The climbing is abundant and challenging. I love the idea of a gorge — it hides all the city lights with its big walls and lets you submerse in a seemingly remote wilderness. It also shows just how effective persistence can be when you look down at the river that created the whole thing!
BRO: What is your earliest memory of being in the outdoors?
MM: My family has a cottage in Pennsylvania on the Susquehanna River. I practically grew up there and I smile when I think of how my brother and I were always racing across the rocks on the banks of the river, hopping from one to the next. My earliest memory is catching my first catfish with my dad and brother. It was almost as big as me!! Sitting on the shore that night by the campfire I knew this was always going to be a big part of my life.
BRO: What are you currently studying?
MM: Currently, I am pursuing my Masters of Science in Industrial/Organizational Psychology.
BRO: Dream job?
MM: My dream job comes from my belief that nature can teach us so much about ourselves. I want to create a consulting firm that uses evidence-based strategies to help leadership teams discover and work on their strengths and weakness by using outdoor experiences and targeted coaching. In the meantime, I’m working on developing the expertise to make that a reality.
BRO: Peanut butter or almond butter? This one’s important.
MM: Crunchy peanut butter for the win.
Sarah Puckett
BRO: Where are you from originally (and where do you go to school now)?
SP: I was born in Richmond, Virginia, moved to Pennsylvania when I was eight, and moved back to Virginia during high school to the small town of Montpelier. Now I am attending James Madison University.
BRO: How do you like to go outside and play?
SP: I live for hiking, backpacking, fishing in lakes and rivers, kayaking adventures, or just simply sitting under the stars at a campfire.
BRO: Where is your favorite place/trail/river/etc. to play?
SP: The trail I most frequently hike is South River Falls on Skyline Drive. I love taking friends and family that don’t get out much to this trail because it is an easy hike with beautiful scenery and a large waterfall that is sure to leave them breathless and inspired by nature.
BRO: What is your earliest memory of being in the outdoors?
SP: My earliest memories of being in the outdoors go back to when I was six or seven and caught a pretty big trout while staying at my grandpa’s cabin in Tioga State Park. He was so proud of me and was going to cook it for dinner but forgot it in his cooler and the next day it smelled awful.
BRO: What are you currently studying?
SP: I am currently studying marketing and just added a minor in music industry.
BRO: Dream job?
SP: My dream job would be to market for an outdoor music venue or a record company.
BRO: Peanut butter or almond butter? This one’s important.
SP: I’m going to have to go with almond butter.
