Members

Forgot Password?

Central Trip Profiles

Niko Bowie

Trip Leader
Yale

I am a sophomore history major at Yale from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and I’m really excited to be one of the leaders for HBC Central! In the spring of 2006 I worked on gutting houses in New Orleans with the local Habitat chapter, and I am proud to spend my summer helping with the other important aspect of public service: raising money. At Yale, I want to study social movements and direct action, and I hope my experience riding across the country will allow me to connect personally with people who I think would aid campaigns against poverty and housing discrimination if they knew more about them. Plus I want to get in really good shape. I like writing articles and short stories, watching baseball and old movies, playing board games and wiffleball, and generally running around outside.

Rob Inglis

Trip Leader
Yale 2007

In a hole in the ground there lived a Robert. Well, that's not entirely true, but I did grow up in the mountains of South Carolina, near the hole in the ground from which my head is protruding in the picture that (hopefully) accompanies this blurb. At age eighteen, having never been north of the Mason-Dixon line, I left the old home place and headed off to Yale. Now, three and a half years later, I'm getting ready to graduate with a degree in Ethics, Politics, and Economics, which is a fancy way of saying that I'm a hopeless idealist who wants to figure out ways to end domestic and international poverty. I've spent the past two summers wandering around Latin America, but I still haven't made it to the west coast of the U.S.A. I'm excited that HBC is going to give me a chance to remedy this while at the same time raising money for a great cause. My biggest goal for the summer, though, is to talk someone into teaching me how to rope a cow.

Jessalee Landfried

Trip Leader
Wesleyan 2007

Hi! I'm Jessalee, a senior Anthropology and French major at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. Ever since I spent a year after high school with Americorps, I've known that the non-profit world was for me. I love to hike, read, cook, watch Arrested Development, and concoct elaborate plans for life after college. I change my mind practically every minute, but right now I think I'd like to work on issues of climate change and sustainability. When I'm not day dreaming about the future, I work with WesIeyan's department of Residential Life, do some improv comedy, and work on my thesis. I'm so excited to raise money for such an important cause, and have a great adventure at the same time. And, I went to middle and high school with Darrow, another Central leader!

Darrow Vanderburgh-Wertz

Trip Leader
Yale 2007

Why hullo, I am Ms. Darrow VW, representing Yale and Durham, North Carolina on this year's Oregon Trail. As a leader on the Central trip, I am more than thrilled about riding to Portland with the great folks that are joining us this year. I am also excited about being so intensely involved with all the the legwork for this massive and awesome fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity. My goals this summer are to be given the key to a city and to eat at least a scoop of ice cream everyday. Other than preparing for the trip, between now and May 30th, I will be finishing my senior year for the history major at Yale and looking for jobs out west. When we hit Portland I plan to keep on biking down to San Francisco where I will (hopefully) have a job waiting for me.

Kathleen Abels

Haverford College 2009

Hi! My name is Kathleen Abels and I'm a Sophomore At Haverford College. I have spent the last two summers learning about housing and working towards affordable housing for all through both the private and public sphere. These internships have really shown me the impact stable housing can have on families and individuals, and the real need for action. I have been involved with Habitat for Humanity for a couple years now, and have a great deal of respect for the work the organization is doing, especially after becoming so aware of all that needs to be done in order for every American to have affordable and suitable housing. HBC is an incredible opportunity to raise awareness about Habitat while supporting it both monetarily and energetically. It’s such an exciting idea to be able to do something so worthwhile and see so much of the beautiful country we live in. The opportunity to meet new people with similar views on housing and really bike and work in a supportive environment is extremely appealing.

Brian Allen


I am participating with the Habitat Bicycle Challenge for two reasons. One, Habitat for Humanity is a great organization that I had a lot of experience with in high school, and would love to continue working with them. My big reason for doing the Bike Challenge, however, is because I am a journalism major who feels that the majority of journalists out there have completely lost touch with the American public. I have taken numerous classes here at UNC on what our audience is supposed to want to see, but I want to see that audience in person. I see as much of the country as I can and actually meet the public before I start deciding what news they want to hear. The Habitat Bike Challenge is a way for to help other people in this country while getting to actually meet and interact with them at the same time. I hope that I will take away a lot from this trip, both mentally and professionally.

Ian Bernstein

Colorado State University 2009

Hey! My name is Ian Bernstein and I'm an Electrical Engineering student at Colorado State University. I grew up in a very small town in Northern New Mexico called Ocate, which is where I lived until I went to college at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. I spent three and a half years at New Mexico Tech studying Electrical Engineering and Computer Science before taking the Spring of 2005 off from school to backpack all over Mexico for three and a half months. After running out of money I returned to New"" Mexico to work before transferring to Colorado State University where I currently go to school. When I'm not studying I'm either designing web sites or in the mountains snowboarding (or Cross Country/Downhill cycling in the summer). I also rock climb several days a week and occasionally mountaineer up Colorado's 14,000'+ peaks. In the Summer of 2006 I got into adventure racing with Sydney Ryan (also a member of the Habitat Bicycle Challenge) and in the Fall of 2006 I joined the CSU Collegiate Cycling Team and traveled all over Colorado racing cross country mountain bikes. If you haven't been able to tell I love sports and the outdoors and when I heard about the Bicycle Challenge I knew I had to be a part of it. Doing something I love, cycling, AND helping people at the same time! I couldn't go wrong! Check out my trips web site at www.ianbernstein.com

Erin Bougie


I'm Erin Bougie and I just graduated from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine with a B.A. in Women and Gender Studies. I live in New Sweden, Maine which is fifteen minutes from the Canadian border (yes, I am from the far north country). While at Bates College, I ran cross-country, track and field, was a member of the Nordic Ski and cycling team, and was a member of the Bates Eating Awareness Society. I am currently applying to the Peace Corps and hope to be somewhere in Africa starting in September. I enjoy listening to all types of music, but I must say that U2, Fiona Apple, anything from the 1980s, and opera music (preferably Phantom of the Opera) are my favorites. I love wearing spandex, hence me being a Nordic skier. I would wear spandex all the time if I had enough pairs. I like playing with small yapper dogs and eating cookie dough, but not at the same time because that would take too much coordination. I love being outdoors and wearing sunscreen.

I'm participating in the Habitat Bicycle Challenge because not only is it a fantastic organization that I fully support, but the ride is a great opportunity for me to venture out of the New England bubble, see the rest of the United States, and make life-long friendships along the way.

Clay Chiles

Yale University 2009

My name is Clay and I'm a sophomore in Saybrook College at Yale University. I'm originally from Houston, Texas. My interests include, but are not limited to, visual art (I used to draw), music (I once fronted a "bluesy, colourful, melodic" rock band), and ancient civilization (I had a five-year obsession with Egypt), and now I'm majoring in psychology. Go figure.

I was drawn to the Habitat Bike Challenge as a way to raise awareness about one of the foremost social justice organizations in the world. I've been involved with community service in the past, working in this and other countries to do my small part to help reduce the global problem of poverty, but I've found it frustrating that more people aren't aware that these organizations exist and are available to anyone who might want to contribute to change. Serving as a traveling advertisement for Habitat for Humanity while at the same time making new friends and seeing more of the country in nine weeks than I expected to see in a lifetime makes for an ideal way to spend the summer.

Lindsay Collins

Yale University 2007

Hi, my name is Lindsay Collins and I am a senior molecular biochemistry and biophysics major at Yale from Virginia Beach, Virginia. At Yale, I am a member of the varsity field hockey team which has been an amazing part of my Yale experience. I am also involved in several Yale programs for tutoring local underprivileged children. I have never completed anything quite like this bike trip but am extremely excited. Not only am I excited about completing this amazing athletic adventure but I am thrilled to be helping out Habitat for Humanity.

Brooke Danaher

Yale 2007

Hi, I'm Brooke Danaher. I come from Palo Alto, California, where I grew up learning to love fresh fruit, biotechnology, and bike riding. I'm a senior at Yale, majoring in Molecular Biochemistry & Biophysics. Eventually I plan to go to grad school to be a scientist of some sort. At school, I sing in the Yale Glee Club, and I play on Ramona, the women's ultimate frisbee team. Two of my goals for this summer are to taste cheese curds in the Midwest (I've heard good things), and to play at least one good frisbee game in every state we travel through. I'm extremely excited about the bicycle challenge. I love biking and I love seeing new parts of the country, and I can't imagine anything better than doing both at the same time. More importantly, I think Habitat for Humanity does valuable, practical work, and I am delighted to support it.

Meg Dickey-Griffith


Hi, I'm Meg and I am a sophomore at Haverford college. As of yet, I am still undeclared although I am considering Psychology and History. At Haverford I play on the Women's Ultimate Frisbee Team and am a member of Earthquakers and CER (Committee for Environmental Responsibility), although most of my time is taken up by Students' Council. I am also co-head of HIP (Habitat in Philadelphia) with my good friend Kathleen Abels, who was the one who got me interested in this trip. We organize work days for Haverford Students in the area around Philadelphia. I am originally from Portland, Oregon: The City of Roses and one of my favorite places in the world. I love being outside, especially in the mountains, so Haverford is a bit of a change from Portland, where I could drive to school and see a volcano errupting in the background. That is, if it wasn't raining.

Adam Eaker


I'm a senior art history major from Charlottesville, VA. I've been interested in the visual arts from a very young age and spent the last summer researching medieval sculpture in Germany and Sweden. I also do a lot of creative writing here on campus. The Habitat Bike Challenge attracted me as an amazing opportunity to do a lot of good while seeing the country and challenging myself physically. I can't wait to see a lot of new places and meet a lot of new people!

Elizabeth Ferro


Hey, hey all. I'm Liz Ferro, from the great city of Corry, Pennsylvania, which is right by Lake Erie. I'm a senior at the University of Notre Dame, where I'm a science preprofessional major, AKA pre-med. I hope to attend med school in the future and become a pediatric oncologist. In the end, I want to get involved with international medicine and end up in Africa. Social justice is something that is very important to me, whether the issue is access to health care or ending poverty housing. I want to learn more about these issues and to help get the word out about Habitat. What better way to do it than ride a bike 4,000 miles across the country? I've been counting down the days until I could be a part of this amazing project, and am so thankful that the time is FINALLY here!

David Flynn


Howdy, my name is David Flynn. I'm wrapping up my senior year at Temple University, majoring in advertising/art direction and minoring in business. School has been taking up a lot of my time these past few months, and I can't wait to start focusing on something else; this trip. I'm excited to meet all of the riders, because people involved with Habitat for Humanity are certain to be good people.

Andy Glaser

Rutgers University 2010

Hi! My name is Andy and I am a freshman at Rutgers University in New Jersey where I study agriculture policy and ecology. Among other things, I race road bikes and race cyclo-cross (the most fun and most pain you will ever experience on a bicycle). I am also really into organic gardening, especially growing tomatoes. My favorite variety of tomatoes is the Green Zebra; they are gorgeous small green and yellow striped fruits. Nothing makes me happier than being on a bike, so I guess it is a good thing this ride is 4,000 miles. Completing this ride will fulfill a lifetime goal of riding cross-country; better yet, I get to help out a wonderful cause at the same time. As much fun as it is to read my profile, you really should go out and support a cause you believe in or go ride a bike.

Shannon Guy


I’m taking the Habitat for Humanity Bicycle Challenge this summer because I’m concerned about economic inequality and the rising price of housing in the US, and want to spend my summer in a way that is, literally, constructive in combating these issues. I’m taking the Challenge because with increasing consensus about the threat of global warming, I believe in the importance of promoting green travel, and hope to encourage Americans across the US to hop on a bike. I’m also taking the challenge because I hope to obtain the necessary skills to run a large fundraiser and the physical stamina afforded by biking 90 miles per day for two months. These are skills that would allow me to pursue more activism in my two areas of concern: economic inequality and environmental degredation. I’m a Latin American Studies Major in Yale’s class of 2008. I enjoy soccer, samba, Spanish and Portuguese. I’ve spent a fair amount of time abroad and am thrilled that this summer I will have the opportunity really see the purple mountain’s majesty and amber waves of grain.

Sara Joseph


Hello! My name is Sara Joseph and I am celebrating my graduation from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill by biking cross country to raise money for Habitat for Humanity. I am originally from the Boston area and have completed two shorter bike trips in the past: one from Seattle to San Francisco and another from London to Rome. I have been looking forward to this challenge for a long time! At UNC I am a Latin American Studies major with a strong interest in public health. I spent much of the last year abroad in South America, Central America, and East Africa. After my graduation I look forward to more travel and to nursing school.

Severin Knudsen


My name is Severin Knudsen and I am a sophomore at Yale University. Physics and astronomy are my primary areas of study. However, what I do in my free time I think is much more interesting. I love the outdoors and almost any way there is to experience it. Camping and hunting are two of my favorite activities but any way I can be outside makes me happy. In high school I was active in my local search and rescue unit in Portland, Oregon. However, the inside sports of reading and friends are always enjoyable as well. Now it's back to hitting the books.

Nicholas Kostreski

UMD 2009

Hi, my name is Nick Kostreski and I am from Silver Spring, Maryland. I'm currently a sophomore at the University of Maryland, majoring in Aerospace Engineering. When not cramming for exams, some things I like to do include unicycling, juggling, and rock climbing. This coming summer I can't think of anything more perfect than to bike across the country with a group of amazing people and for a great cause. I look forward to being part of the HBC 2007 team and helping our world become a better and more affordable place to live. P.S. If you plan to bet me $200 to wear red bibs for 11 days straight, including showering and sleeping in them, you're going to lose!

Sam Landfried

Western Kentucky University 2009

After taking a year off, I'm returning to Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY where I've lived for the past decade. I'm a print advertising major (although that might change). Usually I spend my summers hiking in the Adirondacks, so the HBC should be a nice change of pace. I'm very excited about the trip, even though it is a little intimidating. Right now I'm spending my time playing Chess with my sister, pool with my dad, spelunking and training/fundraising for HBC.

Saskia Leggett


Hi, I’m Saskia Leggett, a tentative sophomore English major originally from sunny Los Angeles, California. When I’m not shivering in the cold of New Haven, I’m a writer for various campus publications including The Herald, producer/manager of Dramat plays, and an aspiring print journalist. In my spare time, you can find me usually listening to/trying to discover new music, finding great places to eat (I’m a huge fan of all things sushi), and starting impromptu dance parties in my common room. I’d eventually love to travel around the world, so I figure biking across the country is a particularly exciting way to start. I have yet to learn about the land in between the West and East coast, and I am thrilled to be doing so while helping raise awareness and money for such an amazing cause. I’m incredibly excited to be a part of the Habitat for Humanity Bike Challenge and can’t wait to get on the road!

Erin Lin

Yale University 2007

Erin is a senior at Yale University, double-majoring in Environmental Studies and International Studies. Besides coming home to Lanman-Wright every night as a freshman counselor in Saybrook College, she also plays ultimate Frisbee on Ramona, Yale’s women’s club team. A violinist in the Yale Symphony Orchestra, Erin managed to embarrass herself royally as a lead Ghostbuster in the YSO Halloween Show movie this fall. But when she’s not embarrassing herself on screen, she’s an active member in her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta. Erin spent last summer in Cambodia as a Luce Junior Scholar, studying the effects of the 2001 Land Law on land tenure in Phnom Penh. After completing graduate school in political science, she hopes to become a professor in Development Studies.

Trevor Lyons

Boston University 2010

My name is Trevor Lyons and I am a freshman at Boston University. I am currently majoring in Graphic Design and hope to do a double major with Advertising. I was born in San Francisco, CA but currently live in Deep River, CT. When I am not painting I am either on my mountain bike or skiing. I have been racing XC mountain bikes for the last two years and I have been skiing since I was six. I love to try new things and sometimes get overwhelmed with activities. I love all types of music and try to incorporate them in my activities. Last summer I rode in the Tri-State Trek for Lou Gehrig's desease. The Tri-State Trek is a charity ride that last three days and goes from Boston to New York. This was my first charity ride and I loved everything about it. I decided that I would step it up this year and cross the country. The Habitat ride is an excellent opportunity to raise money for a worthy cause and challenge myself. I am obsessed with challenges and I am excited for a summer of biking.

Shira Miller

Wesleyan University 2007

Hi, I’m Shira. I have always wanted to make a road trip cross-country, though until recently I never imagined that it would be by bike. I am finishing my final year at Wesleyan University, where I major in American Studies. I like to kill time cooking, playing cello, throwing five minute dance parties and playing nice wholesome games like charades and making elaborate scavenger hunts. Affordable housing has been an important issue to me for a long time, and after participating in a spring break Habitat build my freshman year and working with a local non-profit on housing resources, I am eager to be involved with Habitat again through the bicycle challenge. I can’t imagine a more fulfilling way to begin post-college life than to see the country this way, contributing to an important cause, and building great new friendships along the way.

Matthew Morrin

University of Notre Dame 2007

I am a Pre-med Senior at Notre Dame, and am originally from Chicago. I'll end up in med school eventually, but for now I am just trying to get some interesting experiences under my belt. I figured riding across the country for a great cause is a good way to do just that.

Gregory Phelan

Yale 2007

I'm a senior at Yale University and will (hopefully) graduate with majors in Mathematics and Economics. Save the last four years, I've livedmy whole life in Miami, Florida, and I'm still unsure why I've left such a wondeful place to live in the Northeast for college and after. I swam varsity my first two years at Yale, and now spend much of my free time cooking and playing guitar. Starting in August I will be working as a trader for DE Shaw in New York City. I first became involved with Habitat last spring break while working in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi doing construction for Katrina relief, and I spent the rest of that semester volunteering with the New Haven chapter. I'll be continuing Katrina relief this spring in New Orleans. I'm really excited to be part of this summer's bike trip, and hope that it will be a phenomenal success for all involved.

Alex Rabin

Yale 2007

Hi! My name is Alex and I'm a senior music major at Yale. I first heard about the bike challenge while chatting with a friend who had just returned from what he called a life-altering"" summer experience. It turned out that he was a pack leader for HBC-San Francisco. I immediately caught the bug and told all my friends about it. Some were reluctant, citing the risks involved in biking cross-country, but one of my good friends became convinced of its merits. Rather sedentary chaps (he's an art history major and I'm a pianist), we immediately began training four times a week in preparation. As the start day approaches, I am more and more excited to set off on this long trek.

This summer promises to be the most challenging, yet exhilarating time of my life. I can't wait to see the vast expanses of the country, meet wonderful people, and get in great shape...all while raising awareness about an organization that does so much good for so many people!"

Rebecca Rebbe

Portland/Harvard/Boston College 2007

Hi. I am originally from Los Angeles and then went to Portland, OR for undergrad. In part, to avoid getting a 'real' job and the 'real world', I did AmeriCorps in Oregon working with at-risk youth at a high school. Again, blowing off the real world, I moved to Boston to obtain a Master's in Education in Risk and Prevention at Harvard. And since one master's degree is clearly not enough, I am currently finishing up a Master's in Social Work at Boston College. As my final act of avoiding the real world, I am embarking on this amazing bike ride for this awesome cause. Afterwards, I will face the inevitable task of obtaining a 'real' job as a social worker with at-risk youth. Check out my blog at http://rebbehbc.blogspot.com/

Sydney Ryan


Buenos Dias! I am a senior at New Mexico Tech in Socorro, NM, graduating in May 2007 with a Bachelors of Science in Biology. I am originally from the small, mountain-town of Los Alamos, NM. With little to do but camp, bike, ski, and hike, I grew up with a certain love for the outdoors. After moving to Socorro, I got involved with intramural soccer and volunteering at local places that needed help (Animal Shelter and Medical Center). I believe that moving to Socorro was one of the best decisions of my life because I have everything I want here: the great outdoors, wonderful friends, and enough school and volunteer work to keep me busy throughout the week. In my free time, I enjoy biking, running, eating gelato and drinking coffee with my fellow schoolmates. I have recently taken up Adventure Racing with my teammate Ian Berstein; I have found that there is no better feeling in the world than finishing a 12 hour race in the mountains of Breckenridge. I can’t wait to get on the road with other college students with the common goal of helping others in need. Habitat for Humanities is a wonderful organization and I hope that after the bike route, I can continue to support them through my local chapter.

John Vinson


I am a senior physics major in Trumbull College. I have lived in Tulsa, Ok for most of my life, having moved from Texas when I was three. I do research with the Wright Nuclear Structure Laboratory at Yale working on a cooling system for a detector system. In college I have managed the Trumbull Buttery, an in-dorm, late night eatery, for three years. In my free time I play ultimate for Yale's club team traveling to tournaments around the northeast and in Georgia overspring break. I also enjoy playing intramural soccer and squash for Trumbull, have a folk music show on WYBC-AM, and brew my own wine and beer.

I think the trips this summer will be very exciting and a lot of fun for those involved. I also hope it will help make Habitat for Humanity a more visible program to people around me, my friends and family, communities we visit, and those we pass by on the road. I really like the simple, practical approach Habitat for Humanity takes toward combating poverty, and I am excited to spend a sumer supporting it.