What did you do before you came to GOCO?

Before GOCO, I worked as a shoe salesman at the Cherry Creek Mall. Though only a part-time position, it allowed me to focus most of my attention toward completing my Creative Writing degree at the University of Colorado Denver. Right before joining GOCO, I also interned as a writer for Study Breaks Magazine.

What brought you to GOCO? 

I have always been passionate about my home state, looking for any opportunity I can to help maintain Colorado’s most unique and eclectic features. Writing has not only been my best skill for as long as I can remember, but has also been something I’ve grown more and more passionate about over the years. I see GOCO as a great opportunity for me to combine those two passions and use my writing and communications skills to promote positive change across the state.

What has been your favorite part of working here so far?

The people! All my coworkers have been extremely supportive so far, and it just feels great to be a part of such a passionate team.

What is your typical day like?

Even though most of the tasks have differed from day to day, I often spend most of my days writing memos, communication letters, blogs, or handling GOCO’s social media content.

What are some of your favorite things to do outdoors? 

Just about anything and everything. I love to hike mountain ranges, run through the city, walk trails, explore new parks, camp around beautiful scenery, and take part in various other outdoor activities. Whether it’s making the long trek out to Telluride, or simply walking to a nearby park to play frisbee, any activity that takes place directly under the sun seems to frequently call my name.

What is your favorite place to get outdoors in Colorado? 

That’s a tough question. While I’ve always considered Telluride to be an exceptional place to explore, the town of Morrison will always be my favorite location. Having such an incredible landmark that’s only half-an-hour’s drive from my home has been a blessing, to say the least. Even when there isn’t a concert or event going on in town, there is always something to be gained by walking through Red Rocks and looking down upon the glorious Denver skyline.

What is your most memorable outdoors mishap? 

When I was ten years old, I went hiking with my Cub Scout pack. It happened to be Friday the 13^th, which I hadn’t even considered at the time until I slipped in a creek and hit my left hand against a rock. It turned out that my wrist had broken on impact, though I didn’t know this until hours after the hike ended. I’ve never been very superstitious, and I still don’t consider myself to be, but every Friday the 13^th since then I’ve made sure to watch carefully where I step.

What is the coolest wildlife you have spotted in Colorado?

My mom owns a ranch in Elizabeth, Colorado. For those who may not know, Elizabeth is apparently home to hundreds of wild turkeys. One day I drove down for a visit, and just as I was pulling into her driveway, a flock of 10-15 wild turkeys nonchalantly wandered out of the nearby woods and stopped right in front of my car. If you’ve ever tried to get a large flock of turkeys to move against their will, then you probably know this is much easier said than done. It took me about 30 seconds of honking to realize this, and so I got out of my car and tried running at the turkeys while flailing my arms around like a maniac. They all just looked at me and gobbled in unison. It took 10 minutes and one enticing scoop of chicken feed to persuade the turkeys to move. Turns out, my mom had been feeding this flock for months, which explains why they were so unwilling to move until they received food.