Hannah Babcock

lake placid, ny

I've lived in Lake Placid my whole life, only leaving for college in Middlebury Vermont and to teach in North Western Connecticut.  However, growing up in Lake Placid is like a real-life version of Where the Wild Things Are.  You have two choices, either you can sit around, stare at each other and pout, or you can go outside and explore.  By the time I was 13, I was an Adirondack 46er (I have climbed every mountain over 4000 feet in the Adirondack park), by 15 I had climbed 88 of the 111 highest peaks in the North East and over 250 miles of the Appalachain Trail.  There is no way you can thrive in Lake Placid without having a deep appreciation for the outdoors and there is no source of inspiration like standing on top of an 80 foot cliff as you are about to jump into one of the cleanest lakes in North America. 

I've worked as a volunteer in Guatemala and Mexico and as the Director of a Leaders in Training program in Maryland as well, but nothing compares to the feeling of the sun on your face as it rises over the mountains during your morning run.

My Give'r moments: First chair at Whiteface in late January, playing pond hockey until your fingers are frozen to the stick, and jumping out of your comfort zone any chance you get.