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Base Camp: Montana
Faculty for Fall Semester, Southern Africa 2003
Faculty for Spring Semester, South America 2004

Jennifer Royall is a lifelong educator whose Traveling School history began in 2003. Successfully running semesters in southern Africa and South America, Jennifer fell in love with the power of The Traveling School’s mission, believing students learn best when the material is relevant and accessible and that the power of engaging in another culture can broaden personal points of view, enrich global understanding and transform lives. In 2008, Jennifer joined the administrative staff and later transitioned to the Head of School, becoming Executive Director in 2016.

Prior to The Traveling School, Jennifer spent nearly 20 years in the classroom. With a M.Ed. from Lesley College and a BA in Political Science from Duke University, she first learned the importance of incorporating outdoor education, community engagement and rigorous academics at the Chadwick School in Palos Verdes, CA. Later, as a middle school teacher, she endeavored to broaden the traditional classroom by infusing Montana’s natural wonders and its people. Jennifer earned National Board Certification in 1999 and received recognition for her teaching efforts with a Milken National Educator Award In 2001.

Additionally, Jennifer’s professional experience in the outdoors includes two decades of leading biking, hiking and river trips with teens and adults throughout the Rocky Mountain West and internationally in wild settings of New Zealand, Europe, Mongolia and Tahiti. Whenever possible, Jennifer and her husband have traveled extensively searching for suitably exciting whitewater for kayaking, the perfect waves to surf in Mexico and Central America, great ski spots all over the West, and remote waters for sea kayaking in Alaska.

Base Camp: Montana
Faculty for Spring Semester, South America 2010
Faculty for Fall Semester, Southern Africa 2011, 2012, 2013

Aunge Thomas graduated from Montana State University in 2004 with a B.S Degree in Civil Engineering with an emphasis in Bio-resources engineering. Throughout college she worked with MSU Expeditions, a freshman outdoor orientation program, helped develop Wild MSU, a club for outdoor enthusiasts, and helped establish Engineers Without Borders-MSU. Upon finishing college, Aunge was a raft guide in the summer and a ski instructor at Big Sky Resort in the winter. Aunge taught at High Mountain Institute in Colorado, in addition to teaching with The Traveling School in South America and Southeast Africa. In her free time Aunge loves to explore the Gallatin Valley on her road bike, skis, kayak, or on her porch with a book and a good cup of coffee. Aunge believes in the power of teaching students to think outside the box to understand interconnectedness of the world today. The Traveling School imparts passion among students to seek knowledge about the aspects of the global community through unique and experiential educational settings.

Base Camp: Montana

Trace Klein discovered her love of traveling while living in Australia for a year as an exchange student in high school. This experience gave her the courage to leave her small town in Minnesota for the mountains of Arizona and Colorado to attend university. She graduated from Northern Arizona University a few year later after much exploration. From here, she left for solo travel to Australia and New Zealand and eventually to the Big Island of Hawaii where she settled for years working with people with disabilities. Seattle was her next stop, where she met up with her friend from the past, and future husband. They decided to move to Bozeman to raise a family near the mountains, forests and the activities they loved. Aspen and Everest arrived on the same day, a year later. The boys have now left for college in Hawaii and Idaho. Trace shares her love of improving processes, organization and supporting others with The Traveling School community. TTS’s mission is what inspired Trace to join our team; the women she works with motivate her in countless positive ways.

Base Camp: Atlanta
Faculty for Fall Semester, Southern Africa 2014

Mary Reid Munford has worked as an educator all around the United States and southern Africa. She grew up adventuring in the woods of Mississippi and spent summers exploring the mountains and rivers of western North Carolina. She was first exposed to the semester school world as a student at The Mountain School in Vershire, VT. As a college student at Princeton University, she was heavily involved with leading hiking trips and training student leaders for the outdoor program, and she spent a summer working in South Africa and a semester studying in Italy. After graduation, Mary Reid moved to Livingstone, Zambia. This is where she first encountered The Traveling School as she coordinated an afternoon building project for the group. When she returned to the US, she began her career as a classroom teacher, including a semester teaching for TTS. She earned her master’s degree and teaching certification from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Mary Reid has devoted her career to schools with experiential curriculum; she is passionate about using the world as a classroom, whether that means exploring biology on a game drive in Zambia or history and racial justice on the streets of Atlanta. She is an enthusiastic runner, hiker, cyclist, and wannabe kayaker (currently easing back into it after over a decade away from the sport!) Mary Reid most recently spent six years teaching high school Humanities outside of Boston and in Atlanta.

Base Camp: Montana
Student on Fall Semester, Southern Africa 2015

Chloe Loeffelholz began her Traveling School journey as a student on a fall semester in Southern Africa. Her TTS semester was a pivotal educational and personal experience that gifted her friendships with her classmates and teachers. Chloe grew up in Bozeman, Montana and has a special spot in her heart for Bridger Bowl, Hyalite Reservoir, and the local trail system. As a college student at the University of Montana, Chloe represented students at neighborhood council meetings, facilitated panels for the UM Humanities Institute, and worked closely with the Davidson Honors College as a Presidential Leadership Scholar. Motivated by her TTS semester, Chloe studied abroad in Finland and Central Eastern Europe. She graduated with a B.A in Organizational and Relational Communication Studies and a certificate in Global Leadership. Chloe comes to The Traveling School by way of HRDC’s Gallatin Valley Food Bank in Bozeman, Montana where she became passionate about the relationships that make nonprofit work possible. She is grateful to continue her story with TTS leading fund-and-friend raising efforts. Look for Chloe on a trail, with a book, or enjoying a meal with friends. 

Basecamp: Montana

Nell Gehrke grew up among the corn fields of southern Minnesota where they ran over top of hay bales and waded through rivers. Nell graduated from Augsburg University with a degree in Environmental Studies in 2019. While they were in undergrad, Nell had the opportunity to canoe down the Mississippi River … twice. Along the way, Nell realized how important immersive and experiential education is to her. In 2021, Nell followed their sister to Bozeman, Montana where they both served with the Montana Conservation Corps. After spending two terms with MCC, Nell worked at Country Bookshelf as a bookseller and events coordinator before joining The Traveling School in October of 2023. When they aren’t in the office, Nell passes the time reading books, canoeing, and going on long walks with her girlfriend and their retired sled dog, Chicken.

Basecamp: Western North Carolina

Hayne grew up at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the South Carolina/North Carolina border. While wanderlust was in her bones, it wasn’t until a cross-country adventure in a Ford Aerostar with friends the summer after high school graduation that she was able to indulge in the allure of the open road properly. Undergraduate studies in Boulder, CO, and Charleston, SC, were peppered with adventures working for NOLS in Alaska, volunteering on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, and camp counseling in western NC. After completing her sociology studies, Hayne moved to Ireland to work for Barretstown Camp in County Kildare – a Hole In the Wall Gang camp founded by Paul Newman to serve seriously ill kids from across Europe. From training staff to teaching archery, time spent on the program staff here solidified a lifelong trajectory to work with young people in inspiring environments. After returning stateside, Hayne took the helm as the Program Director for Hurricane Island’s Outward Bound Discovery program in the Lowcountry of South Carolina working with under-resourced teenagers through expeditionary learning and school/family partnerships. Hayne then took time to step into motherhood full-time – three children in three years – and learned much more about her passions, strengths, weaknesses, and boundaries from her tiny teachers. Hayne most recently worked at Green River Preserve as their Communications & Strategic Partnerships Director. There she connected young people with programming focused on inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards through nature-based summer camp and school programming for over 12 years. Hayne’s daughter first introduced her to The Traveling School in the winter of 2019 while exploring semester schools. Although COVID cancelled that semester abroad plan, Hayne continued to follow the growth and evolution of TTS in the years since. She brings a deep love of global travel, community connection, expeditionary learning, and non-traditional education to her new role at The Traveling School. Hayne currently resides in western North Carolina with her partner Jonathan, three teenaged children – daughter Isabel, twin sons Hamlin and Zeb, and beloved dogs Domino, Mabel, and Baldur. She loves traveling, listening to live music, reading, and walking in the woods.