Tryka D grew up in New Jersey with her 3 sisters. Her introduction to Outdoor Education was in 2002, as a student on a North Carolina Outward Bound School 28-day trip. At the closing circle, she asked, "can I just stay?" Two months later, she was working there. She has led all-girls trips for Girl Ventures in San Francisco and the Connecting with Courage program in Boston, and started working for Passages Northwest in 2008. Working with youth is her greatest passion in life and she expects to keep doing it for a long time to come. Backpacking, rock climbing, flat water kayaking or canoeing are among her favorite outdoor activities, although she also likes to spend time in the city to drink good coffee, have good conversations, and eat good food.