Tayler graduated from the Adventure Guide Diploma in 2020 and has been working as a guide since 2019. During her time in the program, she successfully completed the whitewater progression and traveled to Peru for the whitewater expedition.
Get to know Tayler
What have you been up to since graduating from TRU?
Since graduating, I have been traveling and guiding in various locations, primarily working in the whitewater industry. Two winters ago, I branched into winter tourism, which includes snowmobile guiding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and various northern lights tours. I have visited nine countries and guided in six of them—Australia, Peru, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Norway, Spain, Finland, and Sweden. I am planning an upcoming trip to Nepal for a couple of weeks of whitewater kayaking and trekking!
How does your job aid in your career aspirations?
Working as a guide has provided me with an abundance of life skills that are helping me move closer to achieving my goals. One day, I hope to run my own business within the adventure tourism industry. While I still have much to learn, traveling and working as a guide allow me to observe and experience the operations of different companies. This hands-on experience has helped me develop essential skills, such as multitasking, quick thinking, communication, time management, and organization, while also gaining insights into the business side of the industry. You learn a lot everyday and I know I’m getting closer to my aspirations in the adventure tourism industry.
Taking everything you learned from the Adventure Guide Program, what skills helped you in your current role?
The Adventure Guide Program teaches you so much, but the most significant skill I developed is the ability to take control of chaotic situations. In whitewater rafting, there’s always the possibility of you, someone else, or multiple boats flipping in the river. Being able to assess the situation quickly and decide in seconds what needs to happen next is incredibly rewarding. It gives me confidence—not only in my ability to manage myself but also to guide others, including fellow guides and guests, through an ever-changing environment. The river is very dynamic, and you need to be just as dynamic in order to thrive in this type of work.
What key advice can you share with our current students?
Make connections! No matter where you go or what type of tourism work you pursue, there’s almost always someone who knows someone you know. Making good connections with co-workers and employers can set you up for so many opportunities you might never have imagined. I reflect on this often—if it weren’t for one of my professors at TRU, I never would have started working as a whitewater rafting guide. That role led me to jobs in Mexico and British Columbia. Similarly, if it wasn’t for two people I worked with in Norway, I never would have found a job in Finland for the past two winter seasons. Connections are everything in this industry and the world is yours for the taking!
Thanks for sharing, Tayler! Wishing you all the best—stay warm out there while guiding in Finland!
