Hi, I’m Paulina (right), the president of Shape NW. Thank you for taking a little time to visit our site to find out find out more about our amazing programs for kids. A little about me: I come from a large family of 11 siblings and a mom of one. My professional background is in education recruiting, with my last stint serving at University of Western States in Portland. I launched Shape NW in 2009 as an effort to offer affordable yet unique camp experiences for kids over the summer. While I loved working in education I found my true calling is working with kids.
As I found myself empty nested, I started out on a journey of world travel. The experiences I have gained traipses through the 70+ counties I have been to has taught me invaluable life lessons and skills. My hope is to continue working with kids in this capacity - teaching them a little of what I have learned from the many cultures and people I have met through my travels.
Shape NW truly holds a special place in my heart. For 3 summers I have worked with Paulina to create an outdoor experience like no other, and when she approached me for a chance to take it international, I jumped at the opportunity.
My name is Ryan Young and I'm currently a middle school science teacher in Los Angeles. Before getting into my educational career I was fortunate enough to travel the world. I spent a whole year in Bangkok Thailand teaching English to 2nd graders, another 3 months in Connecticut as an outdoor education specialist, and my most recent stop was in Sri Lanka where I was a surf instructor. After every amazing trip though, I always made my way back to Shape NW for the spring and summer.
Through all my experiences I have found that my passion exists in travel and the outdoors, and my goal is to share these gifts with future generations. Paulina and I are so excited to be teaming up once again to create this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And I can't wait to go on this journey with you all!