Steph is a pun-loving outdoor enthusiast . She first came to NOLS in 2012 as a student on an Alaska Mountaineering course. After that, she was hooked and couldn't wait to become an instructor. She finished up her degree at the Colorado School of Mines in engineering physics, and now her daily routine is a toss up between trying to engineer water treatment plants, playing outside with awesome NOLS students, or working on her dodge sprinter van aka home-on-wheels. The things she values most at NOLS are the emphasis on developing more effective communication and the conservative decision making approaches. Hopefully those two skills will allow her to share great memories with friends in the mountains for years on end.