Student spotlight: Christian Warren

The fall semester has gotten off to an excellent start for outdoor leadership student Christian Warren. He mentioned, "My semester has been awesome so far! The outdoor leadership classes have been a lot of fun, and I've learned a lot in a very short amount of time. I've already begun climbing... The professors and staff are incredible, and the general population in Valdez has been extremely welcoming."

Originally from Oregon, Christian lived in Washington for four to five years before moving to Alaska. He was searching for outdoor programs that offered extensive certification and field experience. After a year of searching, PWSC's outdoor leadership program seemed the best option.

Christian was an Airman in radio maintenance for four years and has also worked in skydiving, snowboard instruction, technology, and software engineering.

His hobbies include backpacking, photography, videography, skydiving, snowboarding, and paragliding. He holds a D license and coach rating for skydiving, a P2 license for paragliding, and a PSIA-AASI level 1 snowboard certification.

He recently returned from a backpacking class, PER A171 Outdoor Adventure in Alaska, led by Paul Nyland, where he was the teaching assistant (TA). The class practiced their skills and spent several days exploring Mineral Creek and along the west side of the Richardson Highway, specifically at the 54-mile marker. Their journey took them approximately four miles and 3,000 vertical feet into the stunning Chugach Mountains, where they ventured past Rice Mountain and into the Hurtle Creek drainage. 

When asked about the trip, Christian shared, "It was a great trip with many challenges. The weather was very cold, windy, and wet. Even with these conditions, the group had a phenomenal attitude. We had two beautiful mornings in the field, and a couple of us had a northern light sighting on Friday night around 2 am (it was very dim, though). Overall, it was a really fun trip, and overcoming the weather was very confidence-building. It also encouraged many relationships to flourish, with students helping each other in every way possible."

Christian's standouts as the TA were group unity and support. "Everybody was incredibly patient and accommodating of each other, showing incredible attitudes despite some fairly substantial discomforts."

We are thrilled to welcome Christian to PWSC and look forward to the unique perspectives and experiences he will bring to our community!