Laurel is thrilled to bring her passion for education and outdoor adventure to her first season at HMI! Laurel grew up in California and has pursued work that combines both of these interests, instructing various youth programs across the state and guiding backpacking and rock climbing in the Sierra Nevada. While attending Pitzer College, she spent a semester studying public health and traditional medicine in Chile. This experience sparked her curiosity about Latin American history and wild glacial landscapes, and she has returned to Chile and visited other parts of Latin America multiple times since. In addition to playing in the mountains, Laurel loves cooking, painting, and singing.