Honoring Excellence at Sierra Nevada Journeys
On November 14, 2021, Sierra Nevada Journeys celebrated its sixth annual Q.A.R.E. (Quality. Accountability. Respect. Unique Experiences.) awards honoring team members that exemplify our four core values. It has been exceptionally challenging times to deliver programs during the COVID-19 pandemic; the following six employees are recognized for their outstanding contributions. We thank you for your dedication and hard work.
Left to right: Sarah Bruihler, Kaitlyn Langan, Eaton Dunkelberger, Alyssa Wagner, Travis Wilson, Juan Arriaga and Will McKie
Pictured: Sarah Bruihler and Eaton Dunkelberger
Quality: Sarah Bruihler, Lead Outdoor Program Instructor, Grizzly Creek Ranch
Sarah continually demonstrates our commitment to excellence and stepped up to lead a successful 2021 summer camp program. She thoughtful strive to improve all aspects of program and camp culture through positive actions. Sarah recently completed two seasons with Sierra Nevada Journeys and looks forward to 2022. She studied geology in college and enjoys sharing her knowledge with campers about all the different types of rock formations found throughout Grizzly Creek Ranch.
Pictured: Alyssa Wagner, Eaton Dunkelberger and Kaitlyn Langan
Accountability: Alyssa Wagner, Program Director, and Kaitlyn Langan, Core Educator, Reno
This mighty duo teaches students and leads Classrooms Unleashed programs in Northern Nevada.
Alyssa has been a superwoman this past year, juggling a hectic fall season, successfully hiring and training employees during a challenging year, and a handles a demanding teaching schedule – all while being a supportive manager to the Reno team.
Kaitlyn makes incredible connections with the students and shows up every day ready to deliver incredible programming. She volunteers for any outreach opportunities that come up and has been a valuable contributor to Virtual STEM Lesson at a time when distance learning was their only option to gain access to Sierra Nevada Journeys’ valuable STEM programming.
Pictured: Eaton Dunkelberger, Will McKie and the cutest little baby ever
Respect: Will McKie, Operations, Grizzly Creek Ranch
Will regularly checks in to see if there is anything else he can do to help beyond his normal day-to-day duties. He always works hard to build the feelings of trust, safety, and wellbeing for all staff and guests. Because of his approachable and welcoming nature, Will easily bridges the gap between operations and program teams.
Pictured: Travis Wilson, Eaton Dunkelberger and Juan Arriaga
Experiences: Travis Wilson, Outdoor Program Instructor and Juan Arriaga, Outdoor Program Instructor, Grizzly Creek Ranch
When it comes to delivering unique experiences, these two OPIs knock it out of the park (or in our case, the camp).
Travis brings a thoughtful perspective on inclusion and equity that has positively impacted Sierra Nevada Journeys and our students. He goes above and beyond to share his wealth of experience with other instructors and leads by example. Travis recently led programming for the “Today I’m Brave Camp” and built memorable experiences for the youth who attended this unique experiential camp.
Juan has perfected the art of meeting his students where they are – placing the individual learner at the center of the learning process and build upon their strengths from there. He embraces each person’s uniqueness with a warm and welcoming approach. Recently, at the Today I’m Brave Camp and Rotary Eighth Grade Leadership (REGL) program, Juan immediately made strong connections with the teens through his honest, approachable and a consistent presence.
Here’s what we strive to achieve each and every day through our core values:
We are committed to outstanding quality (Q)
We strive to improve through rigorous evaluations of our actions.
We flexibly embrace change that makes our programs and operations better.
We celebrate actions that demonstrate our commitment to excellence.
We are accountable (A)
We do what we say we'll do for each other and for our stakeholders.
At all levels of our team, we set, commit to, and reach specific goals.
We respect each other and ourselves (R)
We foster a respectful work environment by using supportive actions and words to positively impact our teammates and ensuring our co-workers do the same.
We work to understand the goals and challenges of our team, participants, and donors, and integrate these considerations into our actions.
We believe that a diverse set of backgrounds and skills adds value to our organization.
We provide unforgettable experiences (E)
We keep participants' safety, education and experience at the forefront of our actions.
We recognize the uniqueness of our experience for our participants, and show up each day ready to deliver.
