Ben Ringers, 22, is from Dunwoody, Georgia, and is a recent graduate of the University of Georgia, where he earned his degree in Entertainment Media Studies. A dedicated member of the Moondance family, Ben returns for another summer after successfully leading the Maui and California trips in 2023, the South Africa trip in 2024, and the Thailand trip in 2025. On campus, he was a creative media student volunteer for the football and basketball teams, and he previously spent several summers in leadership roles at YMCA Camp High Harbour. We are thrilled to have Ben’s positive energy and seasoned leadership back on the team for another summer of adventure!
The Best Versions of People
By Ben Ringers
February 8, 2026
I was coming out of my sophomore year of college still unsure of who I was. I felt caught between versions of myself, trying to understand what I valued and where I fit. Moondance entered my life at that exact moment, and through it, I met people who lived fully and unapologetically. They were present, open, and deeply connected to life. Being surrounded by that kind of energy helped me become more confident and more proud of who I was becoming.
That experience is the foundation of why I lead. As a leader, one of the most meaningful parts of the job is watching kids grow in real time. Over just two or three weeks, confidence builds, walls come down, and connections form that feel rare in today’s world. From leading some of the youngest kids in California to leading older kids in Thailand, I have seen how much influence leaders can have during some of the most impressionable years of a kid’s life.
Some of my favorite moments as a leader come from the spontaneity that Moondance allows. The most meaningful memories are often unplanned and rooted in pure, childlike joy. From jumping into freezing cold water near the Golden Gate Bridge, to waking up at 4 a.m. to watch whales breach during sunrise in Mozambique, to full-on mud fights in rice paddy fields in Thailand, you truly never know what a day on Moondance will bring. In a world that often feels overly structured and serious, the ability to tap back into your childlike self is rare. Being surrounded by people who fully buy into that culture is refreshing and grounding.
One moment that will always stay with me happened during my summer leading in South Africa and Mozambique. Once each session, we would sleep out in the bush, surrounded by darkness and the distant sounds of wild animals. Because it is winter in Africa during our summer, the nights get cold. One night, we huddled tightly around a small fire beneath a sky filled with more stars than I had ever seen. After a powerful Moonup, I closed the night by playing “Vincent” by Don McLean, a song about the beauty of a starry night. For four minutes, we sat in complete stillness listening to the song, the crackle of the fire, and the calls of animals in the distance as shooting stars crossed the sky. In that moment, it hit me how rare and meaningful it was to be fully present together. The kids later reflected on how special it felt to slow down, look up, and truly take in where we were.
Leading Moondance allows me to help create moments like that. Moments where kids feel connected to themselves, to each other, and to the world around them. I lead because I know how powerful these experiences can be, and because I have seen how much growth can come from simply being present in wild places with people who are willing to lean in. Moondance has a way of bringing out the best versions of people, and I am grateful to be part of the process that helps make that possible.
Cassidy Friend, 22, hails from Myrtle Beach and is a senior at Clemson University majoring in Mechanical Engineering. While she was not a Moondance student, her background is full of adventure, including a semester at the Island School in the Bahamas, a gap year as an Au Pair in Italy, and a six-week backpacking trek across Europe. Cassidy is now a seasoned Veteran Trip Leader, having spent her first summer in 2024 leading in California and her most recent summer leading in Spain + Morocco. We are so excited to have Cassidy’s adaptable and fun-loving spirit back for her third Moondance summer!
Echoes Long After It’s Over
By Cassidy Friend
February 1, 2026
There’s a specific feeling that resonates within me anytime I come home from a Moondance trip or time spent around Moondance friends. It is a feeling embodying gratitude, love, and spontaneity, one deeply embedded in the bliss of life fully lived. When I arrived home this past August after my second summer of leading, here is what I wrote:
“There aren’t quite words to describe the utter essence of a Moondance summer and the imprint it leaves on your soul.
But if I had to describe mine, here is what I would say.
It is the crisp air in the early morning as you unzip your tent or wander out of your mountain Refugio. It is the dried dirt falling off your laces as you tie your boots and clip your backpack on. It is the feeling of weight being lifted off your shoulders and setting you free. It is a love for friendship so deep that only the fourteen of you will ever understand what it means. The long days blur together, and the various towns become one, yet they are each perfectly imprinted into your brain in a way that reminds you of a different feeling. It is company. Uninterrupted company for days on end with nothing to interfere with the connection. It is the moment a kid frees themself from whatever they were holding onto. It is the moment a kid conquers their fears. It is the moment a kid shows up for another kid in their most vulnerable time, creating a memory that will stand still in time for the rest of their lives. It is the intentionality of the questions asked and answers given. It is riddles and card games on picnic tables and cows wandering through fields. It is chocolate melting in the sun and covering your hands and face. It is the skin on your hands beginning to callus and your muscles wearing sore. It is the image of another culture so far from your own that it takes a minute for the profound admiration to sink in. It is the stars above an open field, reminding us that we all sit under one sky. It is life lived in its fullest form. It is an energy like no other.
It is Moondance.”
I never went on a Moondance trip as a kid, but the moment I learned about the company’s mission and talked to those who had been part of it, the magic trickled into my soul, and the idea of leading never left. Two summers later, I am confident in the meaningful and lasting change Moondance creates. It is a culture more than a company, a family more than a group of friends, and a true embodiment of life as it is meant to be lived in its purest form. When I think about Moondance, I consistently find myself coming back to the word intentional. Every piece of a Moondance trip is formed with the utmost intention. There are a lot of areas of life that tend to lack purpose, and passion for that matter, but Moondance stands apart in this way. There is an outpouring of passion among the numerous students, leaders, and staff who come together to propel a Moondance summer, all driven by one goal: creating the experience of a lifetime. I believe life is best lived through shared experiences. We were created to live alongside one another and share in the beauty of the world we all call home. In the few weeks that make up the trips, the depth of connection is extraordinary, driven by the perfect combination of intention and shared experience. There is a fearless embrace of life and an unrelenting appetite for adventure that infuses every trip and echoes long after it’s over. It continues to echo in my life every day. It is what makes the Moondance community so gravitating. It is why I lead.
Jake Tremain, 23, is from Lookout Mountain, GA, and a senior at UNC Chapel Hill, where he’s earning a degree in Business. Jake’s passion for adventure and leadership has been cultivated through experiences like the NOLS Wilderness Emergency Medical Training Program in Wyoming and studying abroad in Beijing during high school. Jake first joined the Moondance family in 2024, leading the Big Wild trip, then returned last summer to lead the Chamonix trip! His passion for the outdoors and mentorship make him a valuable addition to our team, and we are so excited to welcome him back for another summer!
The Best Way to Spend a Summer
By Jake Tremain
January 25, 2026
Looking back over the past couple of years, I am extremely thankful for the past two summers I’ve spent leading for Moondance. Shout Big Wild and Chamonix. I’ve learned a ton about myself and how to lead. My friendships with my co-leaders and students are some of my most cherished. It’s not a competition, but leading trips for Moondance is the best way to spend a summer. I had more fun, shouldered more responsibility, and was exposed to much more than I would have been if I were stationed behind a computer in a big city.
There’s a quote from Ernest Hemingway that has helped me frame my leading experience: “The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice.”
Moondance is full of the best people. The leaders and staff I have met have an insatiable desire to come face to face with beauty at the beach, in the mountains, underwater, at the dining table, or in the person standing next to them. I have developed a feeling and appreciation for beauty by being around these people.
It is a risk to lead Moondance trips. There are obvious risks that come with climbing rocks and swimming in the ocean and braving storms. I remember feeling brutally unprepared for my first summer leading in Jackson. But kudos to the office for enabling and equipping the leaders with all they need. There is also a risk in wearing your heart on your sleeve and committing humbly to friendship. But I couldn’t imagine a better community of people to practice this in. Whether it be in orchestrating the trip or modeling trusting friendships, I have learned that your capability becomes the amount of responsibility you take on. By accepting these types of risks and seeing students do the same, I have learned that the richness of life lies on the other side of these fears.
The discipline to tell the truth is the discipline to be yourself. I’ll leave it at that.
The last quality shared among the best people Hemingway is referring to is the capacity for sacrifice. By leading for Moondance, you might be giving up an internship that promises professional comfort and security. You might be giving up time with your family or friends. There are also a few comforts you must give up during the summer to give the students the best experience possible. We are in a world that tells us to look out for ourselves. I would argue that this is a message worth rejecting for the most part and that real freedom comes in making sacrifices for the good of those around you. Nothing I can say will convince anyone of this. We must try it on for size and decide for ourselves. Worth experimenting with though.
I am extremely grateful that I got called on the adventure two years ago.
Emily Bronstein, 22, is a former Moondance student from Park City, UT, and we are beyond excited to have her back! Growing up, Emily went on four trips with us, including the Mystery Trip to Madeira in 2022. As a leader, she excelled on the Colorado Trail trip in 2024 and the Dolomites trip in 2025. Emily is a senior at the University of Virginia, where she is a student in the McIntire School of Commerce and also involved in an array of non-profits and other clubs. Emily continues her love for the outdoors that she cultivated while growing up out west (+ her Moondance trips!) by returning for her third summer. We are so excited for Emily to get to share that passion with her students again, and we are so thankful she is back to lead!
The Chance to Inspire
By Emily Bronstein
January 18, 2026
Moondance has shaped me into the person I am today, and for that, I am forever grateful. I started to lead because of the impact my leaders had on me as a student, and I continue to lead because of the feeling that comes with inspiring that growth in others.
My first Moondance trip came at a pivotal time. I was entering high school and my family was moving across the country. I carried all of the fear and uncertainty that comes with any major life transition, so naturally, I was incredibly anxious. My leaders encouraged me to reframe that moment in my life as a positive opportunity for growth, which I put into practice on that trip. I quickly learned how to become friends with total strangers in such a short period of time, and that I was capable of handling uncomfortable, new situations. Although the trip was only two weeks, I learned more about myself in that time than I’d ever experienced before. My other trips were no different; each one challenged me in new ways, shaping me into a stronger, more confident individual.
Because of my incredible leaders, I’d always dreamed of leading a Moondance to inspire students in the same capacity. I love the concept of “type two fun”—when something is incredibly hard in the moment but becomes the most impactful moment of the trip afterwards. For some students, it’s summiting a peak they never believed they could climb. For others, it’s sharing something at Moonup they finally felt safe to say out loud. These small moments are the ones that truly shape us. Witnessing a group rally together, celebrate one another, and grow as a unit is so powerful, and a huge reason why I continue to lead. I’m grateful for the growth Moondance has provided me with and the unique opportunity to inspire that same transformation in others.
The impact that Moondance has transcends far beyond one individual. It’s why the community is so strong. As cliché as it may sound, the people truly make the place. Watching a group shift from complete strangers on day one to inseparable friends by the end of two or three weeks is an incredibly special experience. These friendships allow us to grow, challenge ourselves, and walk away from a trip with new perspectives. Moondance is full of brilliant, genuine people who bring out the best in one another. From students to leaders and everyone who makes the experience possible, it is truly such a unique community that I feel honored to be a part of.
The opportunity to help create spaces where students feel challenged, supported, and celebrated is the reason I come back every summer. As both a student and a leader, Moondance has given me some of the most meaningful experiences of my life. I’m forever grateful for the impact Moondance has had on me, and for the chance to inspire that same growth in others.
JP Lisi, 25, returns to Moondance for his fourth summer after leading the Pacific Northwest, Chamonix, and Italian Dolomites trips. Originally from West Chester, Pennsylvania, he first discovered his passion for the outdoors at Camp Kingsley Pines, for which he later worked as a camp counselor. During the fall of 2020, he completed a semester-long NOLS course in the Rockies and gained invaluable outdoor experiences. JP is a proud graduate of Tulane University, with a major in Environmental Studies and a minor in Philosophy. He spent the fall of his senior year studying in Lisbon, Portugal, before completing his final semester of college in Sydney, Australia. He currently lives and works in Puerto Rico, and we can’t wait to have him back for another summer!
Unlike Any Other Community
By JP Lisi
December 14th, 2025
I come back to Moondance because Moondance inspires me. I view inspiration as a kind of currency. It’s a rare and somewhat ineffable pool (or Source) to draw from to create new things, ideas, mindsets, and worldviews. In my 24 years around the Sun, I’ve found that two major areas provide the most amount of inspiration: motivated young people and the great outdoors. Moondance provides a unique golden-ticket opportunity to these, and I have found that there’s something very special that happens when you combine the two and bring these motivated young people into the great outdoors. It’s like a microbiome for inspiration.
Let me start with the outdoors. Nature has always been and will always prove to be our greatest teacher. Pachamama, Gaia, Mother Nature. She’s a nurturing Source that provides us with all of the lessons, nutrients, entertainment, and inspiration we could ever need. But if you’re reading this, I don’t need to explain what you already know.
On the other hand, the people – now that’s why I keep coming back specifically to Moondance.
At Moondance, I am surrounded by motivated young people who inspire me, unlike any other community I’ve been a part of. Funny enough, it started with my bosses. I was stunned at how personal and friendly they were right from the get. Sandra Davis, Suzanne Hollis, Owen Roberts, Jackie Faustin, and, of course, Hayes Hitchens. Then it was the incredible men and women I met at staff training who not only inspired me with their creativity, compassion, thoughtfulness, drive, and personal flair, but also made me feel loved and downright fired up!! Dudes and dudetts like Frankie Mayfield, Chris Monde, Claire Koonsman, and all the way up to this past summer with Anna Brock, Jake Gomann, Davis Munn, and Ellie Evans.
Lastly, and certainly not least, I draw so much inspiration from the students. There truly is something so special about leading kids out there that just makes this whole thing make sense. I think back to PNW inspiring Bryan Knox to tap into Flow State while teaching him how to slackline on the San Juan Islands. On Chamonix, sharing with Chester Fannon what inspires me about the outdoor industry, and Carly Barnes about NOLS programs and how she can draw strength and inspiration from herself. This past summer in the Dolomites, sharing with Etta Mohr the poems that inspire me, and with Lawson Knier and Heath Boyd on things that have inspired me to be a better young man.
There is a sort of “next-level” moment in Moondance that only occurs when inspiring these kids while out there in undeniably inspiring environments. It cultivates inspiration like nothing I’ve felt before. There are plenty of reasons I’d say to come back, but for me at least, it has to be because of the inspiration I feel and can share here. I never want to forget it.
Emma Cutter Stark, 24, returns to the Moondance family for her fourth summer after leading for the past three summers in Belize & Costa Rica, Thailand, and Albania, Montenegro and Greece. Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, she is a graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill, where she majored in Peace, War, and Defense. Emma Cutter spent her first year post-grad abroad in Spain, teaching English to elementary school students. She now lives in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, working as a snowboarding instructor.
Transformation Lived
by Emma Cutter Stark
December 7, 2025
At Staff Training in May of 2023, I wrote, “This summer is just the beginning, I can already tell it will be transformative,” and boy, I could not have been more right. That letter, a letter to my future self written on the last day of training, was brimming with emotions, as an admittedly nervous first-year leader, unsure how the summer would unfold.
Three years later, I can confidently say applying to lead with Moondance Adventures is the single most life-changing decision I have made. That may sound dramatic, but no other decision in my 23 years has subsequently impacted all that was to follow. It’s been 3 years since I went through the application process, eagerly signed my contract, and there hasn’t been a single day that I haven’t thought about my time spent with Moondance.
Transformative is the word that has defined my Moondance experience. Moondance has brought me countless firsts. Many, I recall with my stomach sore from laughter, such as attempts at packing a backpack, quickly learning what sumping means, or witnessing my first Veggie off.
But, the most profound firsts are many that are unique to an individual’s Moondance experience, ones that words can’t fully capture. The first time being surrounded by 160 of the most passionate and vivacious people you’ll ever meet. The first time relying wholeheartedly on your co-leader, navigating in a foreign land far outside your comfort zone. That first time bawling crying at the airport, not sure how you’re going to say goodbye to 12 people that went from strangers to family in a matter of weeks. That conversation with a student that opens something within you, the gravity of the moment fully sinking into your core. That first time you see your student conquer something they never thought they could, celebrating like winners of the world.
Leading with Moondance Adventures continues to be the most impactful, challenging, & formative experience I could ever pursue. I return for a multitude of reasons, with the common denominator being the transformation lived. The extent to which Moondance has strengthened my leadership skills, connected me with a supportive community that keeps on giving and growing, and inspired my lust for adventure is truly remarkable. Moondance has instilled an insatiable hunger to pursue a life worth living, full of intentionality and purpose.
Though Moondance may only be a summer in the grand scheme of life, the lasting impact remains long after the seasons change. Moondance will change you, if you let it. One moment you’re simply showing up, and the next you’re wide awake to a world you didn’t know you were missing. I must warn you, you might end up like me, forever chasing experiences that emulate the feeling of Moondance. Moondance opened up my world, turned it inside out, and will forever be the best job I´ll ever have.
