Karen Knight '87 - Outdoor Industry Instructor
When Karen Knight came to GCC, she already head a B.S. degree in Therapeutic & Outdoor Recreation from Springfield College. But while a student there, she heard a speaker talk about GCC's Outdoor Leadership Program and it was compelling enough to have Karen later enroll in the program and receive her OLP certificate from GCC in 1987. From there, she worked for a bike touring company in New Hampshire, then as a sea kayak instructor in Maine. That evolved into an interest in freestyle canoeing; she was a 5-time national champion in that sport until her retirement from competition.
The impressive activities of this alum caught the attention of GCC and Karen was invited back to teach sea kayaking and adaptive skiing in the OLP.
Karen now lives in Texas and travels throughout North America teaching and guiding canoeing and kayaking. After 20 years of working in the outdoor industry, she wouldn't change a thing. "GCC gave me a really strong base," she said, "and I still think that some of the faculty are among the finest!"