Jillianne Waguli is originally from the North Georgia mountains and is a WFR, Wilderness Swim Safety Instructor, and has Project WILD and Youth Mental Health First Aid certifications.

In those mountains, she attended Young Harris College for degrees in both Theatre and History, though she spent most of her free time hiking in Fires Creek with the hellbenders, exploring GSMNP, and sitting by the Nantahala here at the NOC.

Her love for exploration would take her along the lengths of Alaska, where she donned many hats over the years as a Naturalist Hiking Guide, Forest School teacher, Ranger Aide, Trail Builder, Musk-Ox Farm Guide, and Environmental Educator. There she also earned her M.S. in Outdoor & Environmental Ed. as well as a K-8 Teacher cert from Alaska Pacific University.

She would eventually move back to the lower 48, coordinating survival summer camps, working with teens in a wilderness program, and then spending the last 3+ years as the Assistant Director and Head Environmental Educator for a UMaine 4H Camp & Learning Center while pursuing her degree in Public Administration from UMaine Augusta.

Jillianne enjoys exploring nature with her husband, looking for salamanders and fireflies, and snuggling their therapy cat, Supertramp, who is a Maine Coon being trained to help kids with big emotions.  She is so excited to be back in the mountains and here at SOLO Southeast at the NOC!