Volunteer Profile: Board Member Jessica Campain

13 MAY 2013 | ASHLAND, OR — When Jessica Campain was serving for the United States Air Force, she had no idea what the future held for her. But after her six-year term, she found herself at Southern Oregon University, pursuing bachelor degrees in psychology and outdoor adventure leadership.

That’s where she was introduced to the Club, in a class with SMC executive director Gabe Howe.

“I liked how Gabe could show the work the SMC was doing,” says Campain. “He was able to pinpoint on a map where they’d worked.”

For her senior capstone project, Campain studied conducting group therapy in wilderness settings, “where patients have internal and external space.” After graduating in spring 2012, Campain didn’t take a breath.

Now she’s working on a master’s degree in mental health counseling. Then Campain will move on to work on her PhD, she says.

In the meantime she’s serving a two-year term as Siskiyou Mountain Club’s board secretary.

“I look forward to helping the SMC grow to realize its potential,” she says.

Campain says the wilderness experience can be transforming. “It gets them into what’s important, where they can face themselves, and reach limits they never knew they could get to before,” she says. “The SMC is a huge asset to southern Oregon.”

And Campain is a huge asset to the SMC.