Faculty & Staff

Ruby graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2019 with a degree in history and religion and has been working fulltime in outdoor education since then. Her varied professional experience includes leading trips for United World College, Eagle Rock School, Albuquerque Academy, and Camp Kawanhee, among several other organizations. She enjoys reading, playing with her dog, and generally any activity that gets her outside.

Walter originally hails from Indiana, but is now based out of Truckee, California. Growing up, Walter spent a lot of his summers canoeing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota where he fell in love with backcountry trips, mosquitos, and campfires. After attending college in southern Tennessee and graduating with a BA in Forestry and Natural Resources, Walter returned to Minnesota to guide canoe expeditions in Minnesota and Canada. In the winters he helped run a dog-sledding program. After four years in Minnesota, Walter moved out west and worked as an instructor at Colorado Outward Bound School for a few years and now works as a consultant and guide for Alpenglow Expeditions. In between his guiding work, Walter loves to rock climb, bake, and has a secret passion for chess.

Macy Cunningham grew up in Seattle, Washington, but thinks of herself as an honorary Midwesterner. She studied Outdoor Education and Gender & Women’s Studies at Northland College and has led many trips, including 7 weeks in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, with Camp Widjiwagan and more recently for her alma mater. Macy loves climbing, paddling in beautiful places and drinking lots and lots of coffee.

Luke spent his childhood exploring the modest but beautiful landscapes of Connecticut until his family moved to Portland, OR while he was in high school. Luke moved back to New England to study environmental anthropology at Middlebury College, and he spent many days enjoying the nearby Adirondacks and Green Mountains. He first joined HMI in Fall 2021 as a Science Apprentice and has since worked as the Academic and Wellness Support Fellow at the school. He is thrilled to continue working to support, teach, and learn from HMI students! When he is not busy at HMI, Luke is likely out rock climbing, skiing, reading poetry, or playing around on a guitar.

Steph spent her childhood moving between seven US states and after completing her undergrad in Colorado moved to England where she taught a range of physical education, geography, Spanish and outdoor education for 9 years. She then moved to Malaysia for 3 years, continuing to educate young people and became more involved in the outdoors. She returned to the US in 2019, first moving to Hawaii and then settling back in Colorado. When she’s not working, she can be found walking her dog Inky, hiking, running, cycling, snowboarding, backpacking and enjoying the outdoors.

Steph Habla Español

Eliza grew up in midcoast Maine and graduated in 2024 from the University of Southern Maine with a B.S. in Health Sciences. She is an alumna of HMI Semester 42; her time at HMI as a student sparked her excitement for adventure and outdoor education. Eliza instructed at Hurricane Island Outward Bound for a season and later returned to HMI to be the Science Apprentice for Semester 53! In her free time, she enjoys biking and running through the mountains, making linoleum block prints, playing ice hockey in the local Leadville league, and cooking one-pot meals.

Maximillion Balmaceda grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and relocated to New Mexico in 2022. His formative years were shaped by summers hiking and canoeing in Maine, experiences that sparked a lifelong passion for the outdoors. He holds an Associate Degree in Graphic Design from Nassau Community College. Since 2021, Maximillion has worked in outdoor education with a range of independent schools and youth programs, including Albuquerque Academy, United World College, and several summer camps. His work emphasizes experiential learning, leadership development, and fostering meaningful connections between young people and the natural world. Outside of his professional work, Maximillion is an avid rock climber and cyclist, and he enjoys creating playful cartoons and graphic designs for personal projects and friends.

Shona’s love for adventure and the outdoors began with a childhood spent exploring the foothills of Northern California, inspiring her to earn a B.A. in Outdoor Experiential Education and Environmental Studies at Prescott College. While living in Arizona, she fell in love with the Southwest and honed her skills in rock climbing, whitewater rafting, backpacking, and ecology. Shona has worked as an instructor, guide, teacher, and environmental educator across the U.S. and in Patagonia. She first joined HMI as a summer intern in 2016 and has since returned for many years as part of the Gap faculty. Shona is passionate about experiential education and the personal growth it fosters. In her free time, she enjoys climbing, hiking, cooking, botanizing, and exploring wild places.

Lia grew up in Asheville, North Carolina and grew to love the outdoors through exploring the Appalachian mountains. She is an HMI alumna of Semester 39 which introduced her to the world of outdoor education and contributed to her excitement for playing in the woods. After graduating from Appalachian State University with a degree in Sustainable Development, Lia returned to HMI as the Wilderness Apprentice for Semester 53. Lia spends her free time biking, reading, cooking, and recently learning how to sew!