Jack was born and raised in Blacksburg, Virginia, and had a passion for leadership in the outdoors from a young age. He grew up backpacking in the Appalachian mountains, but had his first real encounter with the wilderness in 2016, when he completed a 30 day backpacking course in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming with NOLS. After graduating from high school he took a gap year, during which he joined the U.S. Army National Guard, before coming to Wyoming Catholic College. He was heavily involved in the school’s outdoor leadership program and became an instructor for COR Expeditions after his sophomore year, where he led summer courses and developed a passion for wilderness ministry. After graduating in 2022 with the Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati award for excellence in outdoor leadership, he continued instructing as a full time COR Missionary. His wife, Kathy, another graduate of Wyoming Catholic College, accompanies him in this ministry, also working as a full time missionary instructor. Jack has led backpacking, rock climbing, skiing, ice climbing, and mountaineering trips, has over 300 days in the field, and is certified in wilderness medicine through SOLO. When he is not leading courses for COR, he can be found hiking or skiing, climbing a large piece of rock or snow somewhere, spending time with Kathy, or training with the Army National Guard, where he serves as a HIMARS Crew Chief.