Carigan McGuinn ('25)

Carigan McGuinn is a senior in Timothy Dwight College majoring in Psychology and pursuing the EDST Intensive Certificate. While her academic focus initially centered on early childhood and special education, her time at Yale has also sparked a deep interest in outdoor education.

Carigan’s interest in the outdoors began on her first day on campus as a member of FOOT, Yale’s first-year outdoor orientation program. Despite having little prior experience with outdoor activities, she quickly fell in love with them. Over time, her involvement grew: she became a Foot leader, then joined the board, and even started rock climbing in her free time. This new passion for nature led Carigan to seek out opportunities in outdoor education, ultimately landing her a position as a lead teacher at IslandWood, an environmental education nonprofit on Bainbridge Island, off of Seattle.

At IslandWood, Carigan served as a lead teacher at their nature-based summer camps for first- and second-graders. For six weeks, she planned lessons and activities, guiding the kids as they explored the outdoors and created a connection with the land. “What I love about teaching is how much kids challenge you to see the world through their eyes,” Carigan says. “I was learning about Bainbridge Island, banana slugs, and sword ferns at the same time I was teaching it to the kids and so it was exciting to get to infuse my own sense of wonder into what I was teaching.”

Through her work at IslandWood, Carigan saw how outdoor education can foster not only a love for nature but also important life skills—like teamwork, resilience, and problem-solving. She believes connecting kids with the natural world is more crucial now than ever considering today’s technological landscape.

Originally from Morristown, NJ, Carigan envisions a future on the West Coast, where she’s considering careers as an elementary school teacher, school counselor, or therapist. For Carigan, it’s all about helping make a difference—whether it’s inspiring kids to explore nature or helping them navigate challenges in their personal lives. Whatever path she takes, her curiosity, energy, and commitment to helping others will surely lead her to great things.