MEET AORE'S INCOMING BOARD MEMBERS: DANI RUFFING


Is there a particular reason why you chose to run in AORE's Board Elections this year? 
With three semesters left in my undergraduate career, I decided that now was the best time to take advantage of this opportunity. The last several years of my life have been dedicated to learning as much as I can and I viewed this as a next step — a step to both learn what goes in to an organization but also take a more active role in it. While much of it revolved around the timing of my education, I was also excited at the prospect of stepping in to this position with the new strategic plan in mind.

What do you bring to the table when thinking about future work on AORE's new strategic framework?
Coming into the role of Student Board of Directors, I feel my primary contribution is rooted in my student experience. Sometimes things look differently when viewed from this side of the professional journey, as students are focused on not only gaining momentum to step in to the industry but also considering how that momentum can be maintained throughout their career. I hope to use that as a frame of reference when considering ways to promote student and career development. As AORE moves to embrace a wider audience, I feel there is an opportunity to create incentives for students to remain involved further into their professional career, with development opportunities at varying stages. I would love to help promote resources that can benefit students where they are at currently, but also give them something to look forward to in the future.​

How will your expertise and connections move our association in a new direction?
While I feel confident pulling from my personal perspective as a student, I also feel that I need to represent the student membership to the best of my ability. In order to do this, I will rely on maintaining the connections I have with student members of AORE as well as building new connections. I am not here to represent my own voice, but rather the needs of my peers.​

Why did you decide to volunteer your time, service, and skills to AORE?
A few years ago, I did not even know that AORE existed. Despite being several semesters into my undergraduate journey, I had minimal direction when it came to a career. I had a passion for the outdoors and experiential education that has only grown with time and experience, but I was not sure what the outdoors looked like as an industry. I was not sure I had a place in the industry. That sense of the unknown is a feeling I think many students can relate to. It was at my first AORE annual conference that things began to click. Not only did the organization give me a sense of direction, it provided me with resources and a network to start pursuing it. It plugged me in to a community I was excited and proud to belong to. That alone is an invaluable experience to have as a student and I would love to contribute what I can to furthering that experience for others.