Jessica Church Oral History Interview, February 14, 2020

Partial Transcript: So where were you born?

Segment Synopsis: Church describes her experience growing up in Des Moines, Iowa, as a child, with her parents, sister, and grandmother who lived nearby. Her mother was a teacher and her father worked in maintenance.

Keywords: Des Moines, Iowa; Iowa; Midwest; Oregon; adventure education; career; family; first-grade teacher; grandmother; handy; hometown; maintenance; night classes; opportunity; outdoor education; parents; stay-at-home; teacher

Partial Transcript: And what about your school experience, so like elementary school, middle school, high school?

Segment Synopsis: Church describes her experiences attending school in Des Moines, especially reflecting on advanced classroom opportunities she received, as well as the unique structure of her high school.

Keywords: ADHD; Advanced Placement; Des Moines, Iowa; accelerated program; diversity; elementary school; high school; marine biology; math; middle school; school; trade school

Partial Transcript: And what were you involved in outside of school?

Segment Synopsis: Church reflects on her extensive extracurricular activities, in church, school, music, sports, and clubs.

Keywords: Girls Scouts; Little League; Sunday school; Thespian Troupe; band; choir; church; church choir; club; color guard; drama; extracurricular; handbells; high school; marching band; middle school; musicals; plays; progressive; saxophone; softball; theater; volleyball; young adult; youth group

Partial Transcript: And then what did you do after high school graduation?

Segment Synopsis: Church talks about her three years at University of Iowa, where she ultimately decided that she wanted to work in outdoor education and that she should transfer to a different school.

Keywords: University of Iowa; camp; climbing gym; climbing instructor; college; graduation; high school; outdoor education; outdoor program; summer camp; transfer student; trip leader

Partial Transcript: After my junior year of college, I moved to Oregon...

Segment Synopsis: Church describes transferring from University of Iowa to Oregon State University's College of Forestry. Before enrolling at OSU, she lived in Corvallis, Oregon, for a year, working and become a resident of Oregon.

Keywords: Albany, Oregon; College of Forestry; Corvallis Parks and Recreation; Corvallis, Oregon; Oregon; Oregon State University; Recreation and Resource Management; YMCA; graduate; in-state; resident; sister; transfer student; tuition; university

Partial Transcript: So before you started getting involved in the outdoor program at the University of Iowa...

Segment Synopsis: Church reflects on her early experiences in outdoor recreation, from playing in her large yard to camping in Colorado's mountains to starting to rock climb.

Keywords: Colorado; Iowa; University of Iowa; biking; boating; campground; camping; grandmother; jet skiing; middle school; mountains; outdoor recreation; outdoors; outside; recreation; rock climbing; sister; swimming

Partial Transcript: And you also said you worked at a summer camp during college...

Segment Synopsis: Church describes her three summers at a YMCA camp, where she worked as a cabin leader and then as a member of the administrative team.

Keywords: Boone, Iowa; Des Moines, Iowa; Iowa; YMCA; administration; cabin; cabin leader; camp; camp director; campers; camping; canoeing; challenge; challenge course; climbing; dining hall; friendship; high ropes course; horse; leadership; pool; river; summer; summer camp; urban; zipline

Partial Transcript: And then why did you choose to go to Oregon after the University of Iowa?

Segment Synopsis: Church goes into more detail about her decision to transfer to Oregon State University and her experiences as an undergraduate at OSU.

Keywords: Adventure Leadership Institute; Central Oregon; College of Forestry; Corvallis, Oregon; Eugene, Oregon; Iowa; Masters degree; Oregon; Oregon State University; Oregon coast; Recreation and Resource Management; Smith Rock State Park; University of Iowa; adventure education; camp; change; changing major; climb; college; leadership; major; outdoor education; sister; transfer student

Partial Transcript: And then what did you do after you graduated from OSU?

Segment Synopsis: Church talks about an internship she received at Stanford University's outdoor program after she graduated from Oregon State University.

Keywords: Bay Area; California; Corvallis, Oregon; Oregon State University; Stanford University; climate; college; conferences; graduate assistant; graduation; internship; outdoor program; private school; winter term

Partial Transcript: And then I went and worked for a company called Adventure Treks...

Segment Synopsis: Church describes her experience working with Adventure Treks, a "traveling, multi-sport summer camp," in the Pacific Northwest.

Keywords: Adventure Treks; adventure; backpacking; climbing; high school students; mountaineering; mountains; sea kayaking; summer camp; white water kayaking; white water rafting

Partial Transcript: After I worked at Adventure Treks, I got a job at Chico State University...

Segment Synopsis: Church recounts her experience at Chico State University as their outdoor program's operations manager.

Keywords: California; Chico State University; Foundations of Outdoor Leadership; campus; climbing center; commercial drivers license; driving; gear; manager; operations; outdoor leadership; rental; staff; stressful; teaching; training; trip leader

Partial Transcript: I was still working at Chico State when the job at Oregon State became available...

Segment Synopsis: Church relates her move from Chico State University to Oregon State University.

Keywords: Adventure Leadership Institute; Chico State University; Corvallis, Oregon; Oregon State University; impact; job; sister; students

Partial Transcript: And then how long were you at Adventure Treks?

Segment Synopsis: Church further describes her season working with Adventure Treks.

Keywords: Adventure Treks; Alaska; Asheville, North Carolina; BC, Canada; Battleground, Washington; California; Colorado; North Carolina; Oregon; Pacific Northwest; Washington; season; staff; summer

Partial Transcript: What did you do? Were you teaching the same classes...

Segment Synopsis: Church speaks about her instructing position and responsibilities within the Adventure Leadership Institute at Oregon State.

Keywords: Adventure Leadership Institute; Oregon State University; Wilderness First Aid; Wilderness First Responder; bushcraft; canyoneering; classes; co-teaching; ice climbing; instructor; mountaineering; teaching; training; wilderness living technique

Partial Transcript: And what about your experiences with mountaineering outside of your job?

Segment Synopsis: Church recounts some of her personal experiences in mountaineering.

Keywords: adventure education; bonding; hiking; mountaineering; regret; rock climbing; skiing; summit; summit attempt; turning around

Partial Transcript: And how has the ALI kind of evolved over time, from when you were a student...

Segment Synopsis: Church relates the evolution of the Adventure Leadership Institute, from the beginning of its current form in 2008, to the changes she's seen as a student, student employee, and instructor.

Keywords: Adventure Leadership Institute; Corvallis Mountain Club; Oregon; Oregon State University; Search and Rescue; adventure education; challenge course; change; choice; classes; experience; facilitation; group activities; group development; instructor; leadership; outdoor program; raft guide; student; trip leading

Partial Transcript: And then what about the role of being an instructor, kind of that job title, at OSU?

Segment Synopsis: Church reflects on being an instructor at Oregon State University.

Keywords: Oregon State University; department; electives; experience; focus; instructor; leadership; major; perception; position; professor; research; teaching; unique

Partial Transcript: And then what about living in Corvallis, since you lived here when you were going to school...

Segment Synopsis: Church describes her experiences living in Corvallis as a student with her sister and then with roommates and living in Corvallis now, as an OSU staff member, with her husband and dogs.

Keywords: Adventure Leadership Institute; College of Forestry; Corvallis, Oregon; Oregon State University; college; community; dogs; family; house; husband; roommate; sister; student; university