You can read the original feature on the ACA's Instructor of the Month page (June 2022).
2022 was a special year for me. In May, the ACA California Chapter named me one of its 2022 California Paddle Heroes, honoring me as the Hero for Leadership in Instruction. A month later, the American Canoe Association recognized me as its Instructor of the Month for June 2022. I'm deeply grateful for both honors, and to everyone who took the time to nominate me.
How I got here
I first became an ACA instructor at 19, when I was deeply involved in my college's outdoor education program. With the help of talented peers and incredibly supportive mentors, I earned instructor certifications in three disciplines before I graduated. I've now been guiding and teaching kayaking for nearly 18 years, with a two-year break to teach middle school in rural Yunnan, China.
I love paddling lots of different crafts, and whitewater kayaking in particular helped me on my path to becoming one of the handful of women who are ACA Level 5 Advanced Open Water Coastal Kayaking Instructors. (I wrote more about that journey in The Path to Level 5.)
A favorite teaching moment
When the ACA asked me to share a teaching moment that stands out, I thought of our expedition to Taiwan. Fellow coach Kelly Henry and I taught a series of intermediate and advanced sea kayak classes to local paddlers, and I came to appreciate how a shared love of kayaking can turn people with radically different backgrounds, life experiences, and languages into fast friends. I'll never forget teaching a class in YiLan alongside A-Rod, the most adorable Golden Retriever, who would bolt into the water whenever someone was practicing a rescue and swim frantic circles around the swimmer until they were back in their boat.
Giving back
The ACA has supported me at every stage of my paddling and coaching journey, from connecting me with fellow instructors, instructor trainers, and instructor trainer educators, to providing the curriculum and training that sharpened my coaching. Volunteering my time now is my way of giving back and helping the organization serve new generations of paddlers and educators.
If you're a paddler, I hope you'll find your own way to get involved, whether that's serving on a Discipline Committee, sharing feedback on new curriculum, or helping protect your state's waterways. There's so much room for folks from all kinds of backgrounds to contribute. You are the ACA, so help make it an organization that serves you and our community.
Thank you to the ACA and the California Chapter for these recognitions, and to every student, mentor, and fellow coach who has shared the water with me.
