Scholarship Recipients 2026
Taking my Pro 1 course with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education this February was an incredibly meaningful experience. Learning in an all-female group created a supportive, motivating environment, and I appreciated the mix of backgrounds from ski patrollers and guides. That diversity brought valuable perspectives and strengthened our discussions.
My personal highlight was learning from instructors who have built sustainable careers combining teaching, guiding, and ski patrolling. Their insight gave me a clearer picture of my own path, especially as I hope to pursue AIARE instructor training and continue to pass my skills on to those newer to the industry.
Since returning to work, I’ve already applied what I learned by leading avalanche mitigation and mentoring newer patrollers. I’m excited to keep building my skills and share this knowledge with others moving forward.
Best,
Rylee
This February, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in an AIARE PRO 1 course with the support of The Reeno Foundation. This course is the introductory level course for snow science professionals, including guides, ski patrollers, and others who work in avalanche terrain. Additionally, this class was an affinity space for women and gender diverse folks.
The course began with extensive prep work: there were approximately 25 hours of online coursework to complete in addition to independent field based practice. After many hours of studying, the day finally came to drive down to the Tahoe area. We spent the week digging snowpits, evaluating terrain, planning tour routes, and managing risk in the backcountry. The two course instructors were incredible mentors with long careers as snow science practitioners. I learned so much about snowpack observations, terrain evaluation and mapping tools, and conceptual models of risk. I am so excited to take my learning and apply it in the future as a mentor (and even potentially as an instructor myself some day!).
Thank you again to The Reeno Foundation for making this experience possible and for supporting diversity in the outdoor recreation industry!
-Josie
