Payton Birch

ORL Prof. Dev.

DeRuiter, D.

30 October, 2019

Academic/Professional Goals

Game Plan- Interests

When it comes to choosing activities and things to do on my free time, the list is pretty

substantial. I love being outdoors, mountain biking and skiing in the summer and winter months,

and I love working with people and kids. The real Payton comes out when he gets a chance to

share one of his passions with other people. Teaching and coaching, for example, allows my flow

state of mind to come alive. I enjoy many subjects in school, however, if I had to pick a few, they

would include Science(Physical Geology is the course im currently taking), and english(currently

taking speech), as I feel like those are some of my strongest subjects. The recreational

community and activities that surround that seem to really draw my attention. And not just on a

physical level, but on an educational level. I really enjoy learning about new ways to improve

myself as an outdoor leader as well as a more well-rounded person. If I was to browse a

magazine isle, my eyes would definitely be drawn to Bike magazine. Not just to look at the

pictures, but also the fact that I enjoy reading articles about how the mountain bike industry is

quickly changing communities and moving them in a more recreation-direction, as well as

improving those economies. My top three interests include, mountain biking and

skiing(recreation), teaching/coaching, and working with youth. I am also a person that craves a

like-minded community.
Short Term-

Short term goals include graduating from FRC and taking a year or two off to really

solidify what I want to do before I head off to finish my bachelors. I do want to get my bachelors

eventually, but not until I have a solid idea of what I want to do; in order to save money. With

that being said, some options are open for me concerning work opportunities. I can work in Santa

Cruz as a naturalist for Mount Hermon’s, Outdoor Science School(OSS). It's not a for sure

though considering the fact that they do require a bachelors, nonetheless, they have made

exceptions in the past as well as the fact that I have strong connections with the staff there(a

good amount of the staff have worked at Kidder Creek, the camp I have worked at for the past

three summers). Another option is to work for Santa Cruz bicycles in Santa Cruz as well. If none

of those pan out, then another option is open to work for Trail Labs; a trail building company that

I am volunteering for currently as we are working on a project in Chico. Another short term goal

of mine is to receive my WFR.

Long Term-

Long term goals include getting my bachelors in program development or something of

that nature. I would like to move and live somewhere in Northern California like Mount Shasta

where a motivated outdoor community thrives. Another key goal is to be a prominent figure in

the specific, recreation community, for example, a Rec. Program developer. I also plan on raising

a family one day. Another thought of mine would be to get into youth ministry and be a director

of an organization serving youth from around the specific area.

Lifetime Academic Goals-

Eventually I would like to get my bachelors, however, I am not sure when exactly. I

believe that this will open up more opportunities for me in terms of work opportunities after I am

done with school. As stated before, however, I would like to have a more solid foundation of

what I really want to do before I really get into it. After my bachelors, however, at least right
now, that will be it for my higher academic experience. Some schools that I have considered

include that of Simpson University, and Southern Oregon University, just to name a few. Besides

academic goals, other goals that I have include that of getting a handful of certifications like my

WFR, and my level 3 BICP Mountain bike coaching certification. My plan is to get those before

the end of this school year.

Professional Goals-

My professional goals including either working for an Outdoor program focused on

bringing in people, especially kids from all around. My hope is that it would be a faith-based

program with the intention of introducing people to the faith. I would also want to work for a

trail organization as a prominent figure that either starts it or leads crews. Side activities or job

opportunities that I would consider would be starting a mountain biking or skiing club, and

coaching in the sense that I would be working with youth. I believe that I have a large number of

interests and passions. What’s next, however, will depend on finding a sweet spot; something I

am passionate about, I am skilled in, and earns me a great salary.