Three years ago, I had never held an oar. Now I'm bringing friends and family safely through class IV rapids. Jess helped me get to this place. She trained me on many aspects of boating: body mechanics and oar strokes, reading whitewater, basic swiftwater rescue, and safety. But more than that, Jess helped me develop and strengthen the most important organ of all: the one between my ears. Jess's coaching helped me find courage and calm among the chaos: she helped me find the ability to slow things down and make decisions when the turbulence of the water and the rocks threatened to spill over into my mind. Of course, her coaching has helped me in my whitewater adventures. But I find myself hearing Jess's voice at other times: when I'm dealing with other stresses, including complex, hard projects at work or when I'm merely confronting the other challenges that crop up in my daily life. Whether you're looking to improve your outdoor skills or just use your outdoor activities to sharpen your "life" skills, I wholeheartedly recommend working with Jess.

Learning from Jess was an incredible experience. She’s an extremely experienced, clear instructor who also brings warmth and a sense of ease to those she is teaching. She creates an environment where it feels safe to be yourself, ask questions, and make mistakes. I felt completely secure on the river with her guidance, which gave me the confidence to be assertive and try new things without fear. I was especially impressed by how she tailored her coaching to meet the unique needs and learning styles of everyone in the group. I’m so grateful to have crossed paths with her and had the chance to learn from her.

I had the great pleasure to learn from Jess during a three day women’s rowing class in June 2025. I was immediately impressed by Jess’s knowledge, maturity, kindness, and wisdom. She has a unique ability to closely observe client needs and provide structured feedback to help them improve and succeed. She is also an excellent and enthusiastic coach whose positive attitude instills confidence and even makes challenges fun to tackle. She is especially great at creating camaraderie and she is an excellent leader who helps other people form strong bonds. She is a joy to work with.

I have known Jess for a long time, but it wasn’t until I was a student in one of her Swiftwater Rescue courses that I could closely appreciate what makes her such a natural mentor and leader. I left that 3-day course deeply touched and inspired by her way of leadership and loving guidance. Her ability to empower every individual beyond their personal hesitations, while imparting the knowledge and technical skills that we were all there for was incredible. She helped me learn to be a better river-woman but more importantly, she built up the confidence I have in myself on the river and off, and I will always be grateful for that.