Ryann Ellyse Downey was born in New Orleans in June 2005, just two months before Hurricane Katrina hit the Mississippi & Louisiana Gulf coast. She and her parents evacuated to Texas where they lived for the next 12 years. Ryann attended public schools until she completed the 4th grade, when her mother began working with her father in the Outdoor Industry.

 

As Ryann joined her parents on more and more business trips, the family realized that a conventional education wasn't going to work for her. So instead of entering a 5th grade classroom in the Fall of 2015, Ryann began her "roadschooled" education. She attends an online "asynchronous" school and travels with her family all over the country. They love the school because it's so flexible, and Ryann can do her lessons in a few hours each day. This allows her a lot of time to enjoy the places she's visiting, like when she harvested & chargrilled oysters from Puget Sound, fed carrots to giraffes at Audobon Zoo, and visited Elvis' home Graceland.

 

Ryann assists Apex Outdoor Sales with sample preparation, trade show set-up, and advises Mom on Retail from a teen's perspective. She loves working with the Apex team and looks forward to the upcoming season, and beyond!