By: Clementine Wilson, Adolescent Field Manager & Jody St. Joseph, Adolescent Program Director
This three part series focuses on the Master Guide position and the significance of this special role at Pacific Quest. The first entry looked at the role itself and highlighted Nikki Robinson. Part II introduced Master Guide Alyson Alde. In this third and final entry we meet Nick Olson and learn about his focus within this role!
Meet Nick Olson
Nick working with a student on the land.
Nick hails from the high plains of Wyoming. There his wonderful parents worked diligently to instill in him a strong connection to a healthy diet, gardening and traveling. He studied International Studies at the University of Wyoming and in embracing his dream of vagabonding, traveled for two years following college. In the backwoods of Thailand with rambunctious kids, he realized that playing with youth in the dirt rules.
Nick started at Pacific Quest in March of 2015. He finds purpose in this job by helping students foster their own connection with the land, their food and their own self worth. He pulls from growing up in his tight knit community to help students build their sense of responsibility to their community, both here at Pacific Quest and back home. It’s a good day for Nick when his students find themselves deep in conversation, comfortably seated on the earth with their hands in the soil. He comments, “What motivates me here at Pacific Quest is when a student transforms a section of the garden and through their hard work they get invested and connected with the well-being of the land.” As a master guide he hopes to help garden-shy guides feel more comfortable working on the land and getting their hands dirty.
In his off time he enjoys the quirkiness of Hilo, the comfort of his porch swing and the adventures with his community here on the Big Island.