Student Alumni Knowledge Team
Our Purpose
This team serves as a point of human connection for future JIRPers with JIRP alums. Connect with any of these folks to get a sense of the heart and soul of the program and what it is all about. Rather than using it as a place to get down to brass tacks or solve nitty gritty questions about seasonal specifics, it is a place to connect with folks whose experience of JIRP might feel similar to what you expect to experience.
(AKA a biology major who did JIRP in 2014 wouldn’t be able to speak exactly to the 2022 curriculum, but COULD connect over the experience of being a bio student doing this program and what it meant to them!)
Meet the 2024 Team
Feel free to send an email to anyone on the team!
You will find their info + email addresses below.
If you have any questions or concerns about SAKT, feel free to reach out to the SAKT organizers:
Bertie Miller (rbcm96@gmail.com), Annie Chien (anniechien1996@gmail.com), or Hannah Mode (hannahpmode@gmail.com).
Bertie Miller rbcm96@gmail.com
they/them
2018 Student + 2020-23 JEDI Committee
Email me if you want to talk about the fine dining of the icefield or gender neutral housing (and more!). Happy to talk to any prospective LGBTQ+ folks about my experience as a queer person at JIRP. I can chat about classroom accessibility in the program as a student with learning disabilities as well. I will also give you secret recipes to make legendary canned bean dishes up on the ice.
Yueyi Che
yueyiche@berkeley.edu
she/her
2019 Student
Hello there! Are you afraid your skiing skill from age 3 has gone because you haven't skied for years? Are you an international student from outside of the US? I would love to hear from you if you have concerns about not having a lot of outdoor or study abroad experience. I would also be glad to talk about how JIRP provided me the skills and confidence to design my own thesis research after the summer fieldwork.
Scott Lakeram
lakeram2@illinois.edu
he/him
2018 Student + 2020-21 JEDI Committee
Feel free to email me if you would like to talk about staying vegan/vegetarian on the icefield. I am happy to talk about skis or other gear and what it is like learning to ski on the icefield. I could go more into detail about personal hygiene and how to explain the value of a field course to parents who are apprehensive about the idea.
Crystal Yong
crystalyongyh@outlook.com
she/her
2017 Student + 2019 Logistics Coordinator
Reach out to me with any questions you have about what JIRP is like for an international student, a first-time skier and someone who needs a lot of personal space. I did JIRP in 2017 as a student, and returned as logistics staff in 2019. I think there is a place in JIRP for anyone with an open mind and love for people, science and adventure, so if you have any hesitations that you want to talk to someone about, feel free to ask me!
Andrew Opila
aopila@gmail.com
he/they
2018 Student
I would love to chat with anyone without a science background, older students, and artists. I'll talk with you about the epic views, spiritual experiences, photography, creativity, outdoor leadership, climbing, skiing, life on the icefield, the physical nature of the expedition & any other questions you can dream up.
Jocelyn (Jaws) Reahl
jocelyn.reahl@gmail.com
she/her
2019 Student
Reach out to me if you want to talk about managing mental health on the Icefield, choosing the right equipment for yourself and your budget, cooking delicious food, and much more! I am happy to talk about managing chronic anxiety and self-doubt during the traverse, as well as my experience as an LGBTQ+ post-baccalaureate student. I am also excited to share resources I used while selecting my Icefield gear, including a very detailed Google Sheets template I made to keep track of everything on JIRP’s gear list.
Daniel Otto
dotto2nd@gmail.com
he/him
2017 Student
Trying to justify JIRP to yourself and/or others? Look no further! I'm happy to talk about all things JIRP, but especially the value of JIRP and the alum network, ways to save on gear, and how JIRP definitely fits into whatever plans you may or may not have for the future. I came to the program with no science background, no ski experience, some athletic background (but the wrong kind!), and it's probably the best choice I have ever made. JIRP is famously self-selecting. If you are worried you aren't cut out for the icefield, remind yourself that just being here and seriously considering the program can only mean that you are exactly the type of person JIRP is looking for.
Paola Araya
pparaya@uc.cl
she/her
2019 Student
The first time I arrived in Alaska and joined JIRP, I was so nervous and I felt pretty anxious the first two weeks about speaking in English, or not understanding glacier safety stuff quickly. I would be really happy to talk about how important is to believe in yourself and share how JIRP is a community effort in a wild place where friendship and teamwork take place in a magical way. I would also love to talk about science in the icefield, and share recipes with South American charm or help you with feminine hygiene questions. I will be here waiting for you and in the meantime, I will keep dreaming of me drilling some ice cores on a Martian polar ice cap.
Molly Blakowski
mollyblakowski@gmail.com
she/her
2013 Student
The very first time I set foot in a pair of skis was at Camp 17. Now - almost a decade later - I spend just about all of my free time XC skiing! Email me if you want to talk about navigating imposter syndrome in STEM fields or the outdoor community, how JIRP can help you achieve your professional and academic goals, or the peaks and valleys of conducting remote fieldwork. I'm especially excited to chat with first-generation and nontraditional students.
Molly Peek
mollypeek@gmail.com
she/they
2016 Student + 2018 Logistics Coordinator + 2020-21 JEDI Committee
Reach out to me about ANYTHING!! I am particularly happy to talk about being queer on the icefield and dealing with mental health issues while doing the program. I love to talk about the nitty-gritty or potentially "embarrassing" questions you have, as well as concerns about health, fitness, self-care, and finding your confidence in a new setting!
Annie Chien
anniechien1996@gmail.com
she/her
2018 Student + 2020-23 JEDI Committee
Feel free to reach out to me if you want to talk about what it’s like to be a first time skier on JIRP! I would also be happy to talk about navigating JIRP as a queer person of color with ADHD, mental health on the icefield, purchasing/borrowing gear (as someone with minimal experience in cold places, coming from the often hot and on fire motherland of Los Angeles), and eyecare as a die-hard contact lens fan. On the icefield, I also realized I love to cook and wasn’t too bad at it. If you wanna talk about icefield food and cooking, I’d love to chat!
Olivia Truax
oliviajtruax@gmail.com
she/her
2016 Student + 2018 Field Staff
Come for the glaciers, stay for the JIRPers. Email me for a chat about how the JIRP community support each other on and off the Icefield. I’m happy to share the role JIRP has played in my journey from future lawyer to PhD candidate studying past climates in Antarctica (and some of the many shenanigans along the way).