Meet Our Leaders

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SUOC runs on leaders! You may be thinking- ‘Wait, I’ve already read that on the Becoming a Leader Page!’ and you’d be right! But SUOC doesn’t run solely on trip leaders!

SUOC has a whole slew of different leadership positions for which members can run.

When you think of the people who run every single aspect of the club, you’re thinking of Executive Council; our President, Vice President, Treasurer, DEIA Chair, Secretary, and our Equipment Room Chair- they make up ‘Exec’.

Then of course, our trip leaders themselves, who lead and run trips for the activities they can, and the Activity Chairs, who spearhead everything related to their activity and give new leaders their leaderships!

Or maybe you’re wondering who types out our websites (fourth wall break hehe) and who runs our social media; Those people would be our Members at Large.

Many SUOC Leaders hold leaderships in several groups mentioned above, so this place is the one-stop-shop to find out a bit more if you’re curious about someone who is leading your trip!

There are many different kinds of leaders in SUOC, and this page is dedicated to all of our current and official ones!

E-Board

Henry Long

President

(he/him)

Graduating: 2025

From: Cleveland, Ohio

Club Leadership Involvement:

Current: President 2024-2025

Previous: Asst. E-room Chair 2023-2024, Leadership Chair 2023-2024

Trip Leadership(s):

Cross-country Skiing, Backpacking, & Top-Rope Climbing

Bio:

I am Henry Long, the current president of SUOC. I am studying Environmental Engineering at SU. I enjoy climbing, hiking, backpacking, and even some caving recently!

Sarah Van Horne

Vice President

(she/they)

Graduating: 2025

From: Mountain View, California

Club Leadership Involvement:

Current: Vice President 2024-2025

Previous: Webmaster 2023-2024, Climbing Chair 2022-2023, Budget Chair 2022-2023, Recruitment Chair 2021-2022, Publicity Chair 2021-2022

Trip Leadership(s):

Top-Rope Climbing, Sport Climbing & Trad Climbing

Bio:

I like to climb and swim and like rocks

Ryan Olivier-Meehan

Treasurer

(he/him)

Graduating: 2025

From: Manchester, Massachusetts

Club Leadership Involvement:

Current: Treasurer 2024-2025

Previous: Treasurer 2024-2025 & Caving Chair 2023-2024

Trip Leadership(s):

Cross-country Skiing, Backpacking, Top-Rope Climbing, Horizontal Caving, Vertical Caving

Bio:

Lick the next rock you see (thank me later)

Diya Bardwell

DEIA Chair

(she/they)

Graduating: 2026

From: Washington, D.C.

Club Leadership Involvement:

DEIA Chair 2024-2025

Bio:

Hey! My name is Diya and I am currently serving as the DEIA Chair. This is my second year in SUOC and my goal for this year is to go on at least one trip for every activity! Although I am excited to try everything, my favorite activities include backpacking, caving and climbing. As DEIA chair, I am working to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to participate in our trips. I am excited to work with chairs, leaders, and the club as a whole to advance DEIA initiatives!

Jessie Norton

Secretary

(she/her)

Graduating: 2025

From: Naples, New York

Club Leadership Involvement:

Secretary 2024-2025

Trip Leadership(s):

Backpacking

Bio:

Hey there! I’m studying Spanish/Spanish Education and a lover of the backpacker/hiker life. I thru-hiked El Camino de Santiago this past summer and am making plans to do the AT in Spring 2025. Aside from hiking, I run an informal triathlon training group, and love introducing beginners to the wonderful world of backpacking.

Kate Monroe

E-Room Chair

(she/her)

Graduating: 2025

From: Farmingdale, New Jersey

Club Leadership Involvement:

E-Room Chair 2024-2025 & First Aid Chair 2024-2025

Trip Leadership(s):

Backpacking, Top-Rope Climbing, & Horizontal Caving

Bio:

I’m a senior at SU studying Biomedical Engineering, and this year I’m running our Eroom and First Aid. Super excited for all our adventures this year, especially in caving, climbing, and backpacking. If you have questions about getting more involved with the club or want to learn more about SUOC, feel free to visit me at the E-Room or shoot me a message!


Activity Chairs

Henry DeVasher

Backpacking Chair

(he/him)

Graduating: 2025

From: Williamsburg, Virginia

Club Leadership Involvement:

Backpacking Chair 2024-2025, Leadership Chair 2024-2025

Trip Leadership(s):

Backpacking & Mountain Biking

Bio:

My name is Henry and I’m a chemistry major at ESF. I have been in SUOC since my freshman year and it has given me a fantastic community and friendships. I am super passionate about backpacking and love to explore all of the natural areas upstate New York has to offer.

Jonah Schneiderman

Caving Chair

(he/him)

Graduating: 2025

From: Bridgewater, New Jersey

Club Leadership Involvement:

Caving Chair 2024-2025

Trip Leadership(s):

Cross-country Skiing, Horizontal Caving, & Vertical Caving,

Bio:

Hello hello! I’m stoked to be your caving chair! I transferred originally from Rutgers New Brunswick (RUOC anyone?) and am an ESF student and past Ranger School graduate studying forestry. I am most excited to continue the work of past caving chairs to improve the safety and fun of horizontal and vertical caving for the club. I’ve been caving and leading trips from NY to GA with SUOC since I joined in fall 23′ and I hope to get more new people involved with this fantastic sport. I also enjoy backpacking and am working to bring white water kayaking back to the club!

Chrysanthemun Holowczak

Climbing Chair

(they/them)

Graduating: Fall 2024 (Grad Degree)

From: South Orange, NJ

Club Leadership Involvement:

Climbing Chair 2022-2024, Arrowhead Editor 2023-2024, & Historian 2022-2023

Trip Leadership(s):

Sport Climbing, Toprope Climbing, Flatwater Paddling

Bio:

I did my undergraduate studies at Syracuse for Mathematics and Mathematics Education, then went on to do my master’s degree here. I was first introduced to climbing during my junior year of my undergraduate career at SU and fell in love! SUOC was how I first fell in love with my now favorite outdoor activity and met many of my best friends. In the future I will be teaching math at a school in the Syracuse area.

Molly Hickey

Mountain Biking Chair

(she/her)

Graduating: 2025

From: Westchester, New York

Club Leadership Involvement:

Mountain Biking Chair 2023-2025, Recruitment Chair 2022-2024, & E-Room Chair 2023-2024

Trip Leadership(s):

Mountain Biking

Bio:

I’m a Conservation Biology Major at ESF and you can catch me doing anything in SUOC that is on the ground (or below it). My favorite part about SUOC is the lifelong friends that I have met and the cute and comfortable outdoor community that we have created! SUOC really made me appreciate Syracuse and all of the lovely things that there are to do in this city besides homework.

Nick Skinner

Paddling Chair

(he/him)

Graduating: 2025

From: Midwest City, Oklahoma

Club Leadership Involvement:

Paddling Chair 2023-2025

Trip Leadership(s):

Flatwater Paddling, Whitewater Paddling

Bio:

My name is Nick and I love paddling!

Grace Miner

Ski Chair

(she/her)

Graduating: 2026

From: Wayzata, Minnesota

Club Leadership Involvement:

Ski chair 2024-2025 & Vice President 2023-2024

Trip Leadership(s):

Cross-country Skiing

Bio:

Hey! I’m Grace and I’m studying Architecture and Sociology at SU, and this will be my fourth year in the club. I do a bit of everything, but of course skiing is my favorite, as its the only thing to do where I am from (I’m practically a Canadian🥸). I’m abroad for fall semester in Florence, but I’ll see everyone in Spring!


Trip Leaders

Grace Bedford

(she/her)

Graduating: Fall 2024

From: Waconia, Minnesota

Trip Leadership(s):

Horizontal Caving

Bio:

Outside of SUOC, Grace studies Conservation Biology at ESF, plays the mellophone in the SU marching band, and reads lots of books (especially poetry). Her current favorite insect is an Eastern Lubber Grasshopper!

Ian Davis

(he/him)

Graduating: 2026

From: Norwood, Ohio

Trip Leadership(s):

Cross-country Skiing, Top-Rope Climbing, Lead Climbing, Horizontal Caving

Past Leadership Involvement:

First Aid Chair 2023-2024

Bio:

Ian is an avid outdoorsman and habitually cooky teacher of all sorts of things that SUOC loves to do! Ian grew up in the scouting program and has had a years of intermittent experience primarily caving, climbing, paddling, and camping. He’s also involved with multiple other clubs (ESF & SU alike), and will gladly talk your ear off about edible and medicinal plant species, genetics, and anything else mildly interesting about the world!

Jordan Russell

(he/him)

Graduating: 2027

From: Chittenango, New York

Trip Leadership(s):

Backpacking, Winter Backpacking, Horizontal Caving

Bio:

I go to SUNY ESF and major in Landscape Architecture. I enjoy all sorts of outdoor activities such as running, mountain biking and caving!

Omi Wolfe

(she/her)

Graduating: 2026

From: Los Angeles, CA

Past Leadership Involvement:

Publicity Chair 2023-2024

Trip Leadership(s):

Flatwater Paddling

Bio:

Hi! I’m Omi! I’m from California, and all my life I’ve grown up on the water and in the outdoors. I’ve been on countless paddling and camping trips both whitewater and Flatwater in canoes and kayaks. One of my favorite things to do is carry a boat on my head—portage. There’s a peacefulness that comes with the eb and flow of the water, the fire cooked meals, the special bond you form with your boat partner (s). I long for that feeling and by being a paddling leader I take out trips and go on trips that make me feel like this. Currently I am abroad in Australia but I am excited to bring back my newfound knowledge from aussieland. See you in the spring!!


Members at Large

Khoi Tran

Assistant DEIA Chair

(he/him)

Graduating: 2025

From: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Club Leadership Involvement:

Asst. DEIA Chair – 2024-2025

Bio:

The only Vietnamese in this club for the past 15 years. I cannot think of something cooler.

Sofia Self

Publicity Chair

(she/they)

Graduating: 2027

From: Dover, New Hampshire

Club Leadership Involvement:

Publicity Chair 2024-2025

Bio:

Coming from New Hampshire, I grew up around the trees! The mountains were a crucial part of my childhood, and I’ve loved continuing my outdoor adventures here with SUOC.

Sophia Vacanti

Budget Chair

(she/her)

Graduating: 2025

From: Baldwinsville, New York

Club Leadership Involvement:

Budget Chair 2023-2025

Trip Leadership(s):

Top-Rope Climbing, Sport Climbing

Bio:

My name is Sophie, I am a wildlife science major at ESF. I’ve been in SUOC since I was a freshman, and my favorite activity is climbing. Don’t ask me what I’m going to do when I graduate this spring. 🤷‍♀️

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