Brandi MacKenzie

Brandi’s passion for teaching can be traced back to working at summer camp as a young adult. She grew up in Ontario, north of Toronto where she began to enjoy wilderness experiences while taking part in a life changing experiential education program in high school. To seek out bigger wilderness adventures she moved to Thunder Bay, Ontario majoring in outdoor recreation parks and tourism at Lakehead University. 

After college, Brandi packed up her truck and headed south when she was offered a job in Dupont Forest, North Carolina at a wilderness therapy program.  This experience continued for more than 6 years and launched her into her career in mental health and education. The knowledge, strength, and the relationships she built prepared her to continue her journey in the field of education.

Brandi has spent the last 5 years as a behavior specialist while earning her K-12 special education licensure from UNCA. Brandi is excited to be joining the FernLeaf community at the Wilderness Campus this year. When she is not busy teaching and being a mom, she can be found spending time with her family and friends, camping in her RV, gardening, and planning her family's next adventure.