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Wilder Earns Sunday River Ski Patrol Jacket at Gould Academy

Ski Patrol Program Director Doug Alford with Ella Wilder

During an all-school assembly, longtime Gould faculty member Doug Alford P’18,’20 sauntered to the front of Bingham Auditorium with an announcement to make. He called Ella to the front and produced a bright red GORE-TEX shell he had strategically hidden in an alcove off the front of the stage. Anyone who has spent a winter at Gould knew exactly what was happening.

After three years in the Ski Patrol Program at Gould Academy, which Doug directs, Ella Wilder ’26 received her jacket. 

“Getting ‘jacketed’ is the final milestone in the Gould Ski Patrol Program,” says Ella. “It’s a representation of all of the work I've put in for the last three years. I've already cared for patients on my own. There’s an extra level of responsibility, but it’s also really exciting.”

To become “jacketed” means you can drop the “in-training” from your title after the patroller. Gould is the only high school ski patrol program in the United States that is officially recognized by the National Ski Patrol. After hundreds of hours of learning to assess injuries, practicing scenarios, operating the rescue toboggan, and going through wilderness first aid training on the mountain, Ella, like many Gould students before her, is now a ski patrol volunteer at Sunday River Resort.

Ella piloting the rescue toboggan at Sunday River in Newry Maine

Ella piloting the rescue toboggan at Sunday River.

It’s the lessons in responsibility and learning to work with a team. It’s given me confidence in my abilities. Those are the things I’ll carry forward. - Ella Wilder ’26

Ella says that she’s learned a lot of “hard skills” throughout the process. She’s gained a wealth of medical knowledge and has become a much stronger skier. She also plans to continue patrolling while in college.

But some of the program's most impactful benefits aren’t as obvious.

“It’s the lessons in responsibility and learning to work with a team,” says Ella. “It's given me confidence in my abilities, and it feels really good to help people. Those are the things I’ll carry forward.”

While many have come before, it is still a rare and significant accomplishment at Gould. Ella is the only patroller to earn her jacket so far this year. Last year, there were three. Those three, Brenna Fraser, Clare Greene, and Brandon Philip, are all current seniors and have been patrolling at Sunday River this entire season. Brandon and Clare are going on to nursing programs in college, inspired in part by their time in the Gould Ski Patrol Program.

Doug Alford with Brandon, Clare, and Brenna

Gould Academy Ski Patrol Program Director Doug Alford with (from left to right) Brandon, Clare, and Brenna.

Ella fully understands the gravity of the accomplishment and is grateful for her opportunities to train not only with Gould’s faculty, but also with veteran Sunday River patrollers and instructors.

“There are some really, really knowledgeable people that we get to work with at Sunday River,” says Ella. “I've learned how to save lives. That's huge. Not many high schoolers can say that.”

Watch Ella receive her Jacket!

 

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