Jon McDonald, Director, Outdoor Education Center
Hometown: Champlain, NY
Favorite Place: Any mountaintop at sunrise
Favorite Food: Home-made pad thai
Favorite Mountain: Noonmark Mountain
Favorite Books: A Song of Ice and Fire, A Sand County Almanac
Hobbies: Hiking, camping, travel, trail running, reading, basketball
Education:
- BA in Adolescence Education at SUNY Oswego
- Wilderness First Responder
Employment:
- Counselor, Section Head at Pok-O-MacCready Summer Camps
- Peer Mentor Coordinator at Transitions college and career Apprenticeship program
- Instructor, Intern & Outreach Coordinator, Assistant Director at Pok-O-MacCready Outdoor Education Center
- Overseas Educator at Carpe Diem Education
Adventures:
- Jon has visited a total of 12 different countries and has more trips in the works
- Jon only has 30 miles left of hiking to finish the 273 mile “Long Trail”, traversing the State of Vermont
- Jon has climbed all 46 of the “Adirondack High Peaks” and is currently working on hiking them all over again during the Winter months
Favorite Quote: “Then there is the most dangerous risk of all–the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.” -Randy Komisar
Other Interesting Information: He never had his 28th birthday. If you see him, ask him how that happened!
Feel free to contact Jon for any questions about visiting Poko, employment, and general inquiries: [email protected]
Gage Slachciak, Instructor
Hometown: Rome, NY
Favorite Place: Any place that has cats
Favorite Food: Chicken Parmesean
Favorite Mountain: The summit of Blake Peak in the Adirondacks
Favorite Books: The Ruins by Scott Smith, Pet Semetary by Stephen King, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Hobbies: Keeping up to date on Taylor Swift’s career. Crocheting, seeking waterfalls and mountain tops at sunrise and reading anything I can get my hands on.
Previous Education, Employment, and Adventures:
Adolescent Education degree from SUNY Oswego. Camp Counselor and Section Head at Camp Pok-O-MacCready. ESL Program Assistant.
Favorite Quote: “If you’re not careful, you can reach a point where you’ve made choices without thinking. Without planning. You can end up living a life you’ve not meant to. Maybe one you deserve, but not one you intended.” – Scott Smith
Other interesting information: I once was four feet away from Taylor Swift. I am on the cover of a Stephen King novel.
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Contact Us
To find out more about The Outdoor Education Center, contact us directly:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (518) 963-7967
Fax: (518) 963-4165
