Kate Butler, 22, is Sewanee, Tennessee, born, bred and educated. Growing up on the mountain allowed Kate to explore the great outdoors at such a young age and pushed her to participate in her first Moondance trip as a rising freshman in high school. Kate was a participant on our Yosemite trip and Northern lights trip. Her trips were transformative for her, pushing Kate to want to be a Trip Leader too! Since then, Kate has been quite busy. She is a recent graduate with a Geology major and a minor in Environmental Studies and Archaeology under her belt. Kate is most excited this summer for taking on the new adventures of each activity with her students, whether that be rafting, hiking, rock climbing, or anything else outside! She led her Colorado Trail group with outstanding success, and we cannot wait for her to bring the same fun and energy to the summer of 2023!

Elizabeth Orr, 22, is a 4-time Moondance Alumni and has participated in our Pacific Northwest, Iceland, Chamonix, and Northern Lights trips! She led with us in 2021 on our Maui trip, and Dolomites in 2022. Elizabeth is a recent graduate from UNC–Chapel Hill and studied Exercise and Sport Science. Outside the classroom, Elizabeth works as a coach for a middle school girls’ program and has recently started her own small startup cookie business, called Bibs Bites. She had such incredible and life-changing experiences as a Moondance student, and she is excited to have the chance to help her students blossom into their own skin and grow into who they truly aspire to be. Elizabeth has grown to have a deep love for the outdoors through her Moondance experiences, and we can’t wait for her to share that once more with her students this summer!

Daniel Barraza, 22, is originally from Monroe, Louisiana and is a recent graduate from Sewanee: The University of the South with a degree in English and History. Daniel has years of outdoor adventure under his belt, including a Wildnerness Adventures trip to summit the Grand Teton, an Outward Bound, and a semester-long NOLS in Patagonia. Additionally, he worked as a counselor at Camp Longhorn and flexed his leadership skills there! Daniel is ready to bring his passion for the outdoors, students, and learning to Moondance this summer. He is going to knock it out of the park this summer!