Rachael Abler serves as the Associate Director of Outdoor Education at Colorado College, where she helps shape programs, services, and partnerships that foster student success, personal growth, and meaningful connections to the outdoors. Since joining the Outdoor Education team in 2015, she has helped expand the department's impact through innovative programming, cross-campus collaboration, and initiatives that make outdoor experiences more accessible and welcoming for all students.
Rachael believes the outdoors is a powerful catalyst for learning, personal growth, and connection. She is passionate about creating opportunities that build confidence, cultivate community, and inspire a lifelong relationship with the natural world. Her greatest joy is introducing students to their first outdoor experiences, watching them discover what they're capable of, and seeing that excitement inspire them to create those same opportunities for others.
Rachael holds a Bachelor of Arts in Deaf Education from Michigan State University and a Master of Science in Recreation, Sport and Tourism, with an emphasis in Outdoor Programming, from the University of Illinois. Before joining Colorado College, she coordinated the Outdoor Recreation Program at Colorado School of Mines and worked with several outdoor organizations throughout Colorado and Michigan.
Outside of work, Rachael is an avid adventure racer, inspired by the challenge of navigating rugged landscapes, adapting to the unexpected, and drawing on the collective strengths of her team to find the way forward. She believes adventure is one of life's greatest teachers, reminding us that growth rarely happens on familiar trails. Those lessons continue to guide her work with students, where she strives to create opportunities that challenge people, build confidence, and help them discover what they're capable of.
