Andy Bassett

Position at NOLS: University Relations Officer
NOLS Course: Southwest Outdoor Educator, 2006
Wilderness Medicine Certification: Wilderness First Responder

Hailing from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this southern boy initially came to NOLS for a Southwest Outdoor Educator course in January of 2006. While fulfilling a requirement for his graduate work in College Student Development at Appalachian State University (ASU), Andrew immersed himself in all the southwest had to offer. “The NOLS’ ethic and wilderness classroom setting are “the purest form of education,” expresses Andrew.

“As an extended expedition, this unique educational experience was something I couldn’t get from traditional forms of education,” says Andrew. “I was able to take a lot of the ideas I had and simplify them.”

A proud ASU Mountaineer, Andrew sought to define his leadership abilities while teaching these skills to students. As an undergraduate he worked with the Leadership Team and he continued that work as a grad student. Also during his graduate work, he ran ASU’s climbing facility and worked with the university’s orientation program.

In early 2007, Andrew was on the hunt for a job within the outdoor industry. While perusing the NOLS Job Announcement Network, he ran across a job posting for a NOLS Bus Marketing Representative. He leapt at the opportunity. “Lights started going off and sirens – I think I heard angels singing,” he recalls. “Over the next year, I was able to see the amazing diversity of the country we live in. I met thousands of people and shared with them something I am passionate about.”

Summer 2008 brought what Andrew sees as a challenging, yet rewarding, opportunity. Accepting a University Relations Officer position within the Marketing Department, he is the liaison driven towards making the lives of NOLS students easier, who have chosen to take their courses for college credit. Ever enthusiastic, Andrew finds excitement in exploring new ways to collaborate with institutions of higher learning.

“The appeal of teaching skills like communication and group dynamics led me into outdoor education and I hope to facilitate such learning as a NOLS instructor in the future.”