I was lucky enough to grow up as the daughter of the owner of Marengo Cave. I spent my summers as a child running around in the woods on the cave’s property, getting into mischief with my cousins, or following around the older tour guides. Clearly I was trying to act like a teenager way ahead of my time.

I spent a lot of time going on tours with whoever was my favorite guide that summer, talking to the tourists on the way, and most likely feeling entitled while I gave them “insider” information on the cave. By the age of six at the latest, I knew both cave tours at Marengo by heart. It is no surprise then that by the age of 14, I was quite excited about becoming a guide myself.

Actually becoming a tour guide at Marengo Cave changed my life. Envision being 15 years old and in charge of a group of 30 people- most of whom are much older than you. This is quite the responsibility for someone who can’t even drive a car yet! That being said, you can imagine that it was a very rewarding experience. Learning how to speak to a group that large at a young age gave me a lot of confidence which has stayed with me as I’ve moved on to other endeavors. Besides the life lessons guiding taught me, our class of guides developed very strong friendships. As I look back, I realize these relationships certainly helped shape me into the woman I am today.