Kailena Ransom loves to travel and learn foreign languages. She speaks English and German fluently and is learning Spanish in her spare time. She has lived in three countries: The United States, Germany, and Austria, and has traveled in total to nine countries outside of the United States. She also loves to adventure and try new things. She has gone repelling, rock climbing, white water rafting, and zip lining.

Kailena was born in Virginia, but has lived in Idaho since she was 12, which was when she started teaching herself German. She has been married to her husband Chris for almost 5 years. They are a blended family with two daughters; an 11-year-old, and a sassy two-year-old.

Kailena found her love of science while studying paramedicine at Brigham Young University - Idaho. While there she became an EMT. After completing her EMT certification she lived abroad for a while and completed a Bachelor's degree in German Studies through Idaho State University. She went on to teach German for four years during which she completed a Master’s degree in Earth and Space Science through Western Governors University.

She is really excited to join the Alturas team and to dive into science education. She believes education should be a fun, hands on experience, where students can explore new concepts and develop critical thinking skills. She loves making connections with students and watching them grow as they work towards understanding the world around them.