Ryan first became interested in the outdoors while on camping trips with his mother and fishing expeditions with his father. While in high school, Ryan opted to take Outdoor Education as his Physical Education class. Here, he fostered a passion for learning and fine tuning outdoor living skills, such as using a bow-drill to make a fire.

While attending college at Western Illinois University in Macomb, IL, Ryan studied Adventure Recreation and Outdoor Education while minoring in SCUBA Diving. During his four years at WIU, Ryan worked closely with the SCUBA program as a certified Dive Master. He also worked at WIU’s outdoor education center, Horn Field Campus. During 2010, Ryan was a member of the Environmental Conservation and Outdoor Education Expedition. Here he discovered the inherent therapeutic value of the wilderness.

After college, Ryan began working with an organization which aimed to build confidence and independence in people with disabilities through the use of SCUBA diving. He also worked in elementary schools, running extended learning programs and summer camps. After deciding wilderness therapy seemed to be the road all paths were leading him down, Ryan found Element Programs and hasn’t looked back since.