Meet Jessica, a 2021 Adventure Studies diploma graduate who has been living and working on the traditional territories of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations in Načiks (Tofino).
Get to know Jessica
What have you been up to since graduating from TRU?
Since graduating the Adventure Studies program, I have been teaching surf lessons in Načiks and of course, surfing. I instruct full-time at Surf Sister Surf School and have worked my way up to helping manage the surf school. I can’t be away from the surf for more than a week without daydreaming and constantly monitoring the forecast for my next session.
How does your job aid in your career aspirations?
To be honest, my career aspirations are to just to be happy with whatever it is I am spending my time doing and who I spend that time around. I have gone through a lot of different career changes in my life from business management, ski/bike patrol, to rope access work and many other random jobs in between. What’s most important to me is the quality of the people I surround myself with, since those are the ones who can inspire you to be your best self, and to be surrounded by an equally inspiring environment.
I work alongside some of the best people in the Canadian surf industry and have made many friends who are as equally passionate about what they do, surf and non-surf related. I feel very honored to have reached this stage in my life where I not only recognize what is important to me, but that my seemingly “random” life path has lead to being part of a community where I can embrace who I am. A person who surfs.
Taking everything you learned from the Adventure Guide Program, what skills helped you in your current role?
Leadership, instructional skills, environmental, legal and liability, the list goes on. I’ve used it all! My favorite thing to say to people is that I went to university and am using my education, which I think can be pretty rare when you select such a niche subject.
When I applied to the Adventure Guide Program I was committed to learning as much as I possibly could. I knew it would be an experience of a lifetime and there was going to be a lot of self discovery along the way. It actually took me 10 years to finally muster up the confidence in my backcountry knowledge and skills to even take the leap with my application!
Because I gave it my all during those two years I learned so many valuable skills that a) I thought I already knew but now I know them even better and b) skills I didn’t know I wanted to learn that have now helped me be successful professionally and personally. Had you asked me way back when what my trajectory was, I would have told you “fully certified ACMG ski guide”. I was a mountain baby through and through for over a decade.
During the program I experienced a lot of personal growth which helped me navigate my “wanting to do it all” mindset. I learned how to focus my energy through the guidance of the instructors and figure out what was important to me. And I bet if I went back and did it all over again there would still be so much more that I could learn from them.
What key advice can you share with our current students?
In the adventure industry burnout is a very real thing and it gets harder to bounce back from that as the years go on. Make sure you take care of yourself early on in your career. Drink water, eat healthy food, and get a good nights sleep regularly. You’re playing the long game once you step into the real world. Don’t burn yourself out by stretching your energy too thin in the beginning. Know your limits and set boundaries with yourself, and hold yourself accountable to them. It’s okay to take time to rest and reset.
Thanks for sharing, Jessica. We are looking forward to seeing you out in the line-up soon!
