In addition to the fire department, I work as a supervisor at the ASUCD Coffee House, a zero-profit-student-run restaurant aimed at providing cheap and nutritious food to the students and faculty of UC Davis. I also volunteer for an Emergency Medical Technician course offered on campus. I take great pleasure in seeing students develop their skills in first aid and CPR, and it gives me an opportunity to practice my skills and keep them sharp. I am also a member of the Delta Chi Fraternity and have served as recruitment chair and secretary.
I first became interested in the mountains at the
early age of 10, when I climbed Mt. Whitney, the
tallest mountain in California. I loved the challenge of
climbing. When a lot of my friends were dreaming
about doing well on sports teams, I dreamed of
climbing big mountains. The very act of climbing a
mountain is a very pure feeling. You are stripped of
your civilized personality and show your true colors.
You become machine like, just a pair of lungs and
legs struggling in the thin air. The world becomes a
simple struggle between nature and you. I love this
simplicity. I love the views. I love the difficult and
glorious days and the people I have met in such
inhospitable places. Though the dangers can be
great, and I have been through some frightening
days, I feel most alive in the mountains. I have
learned so much about life while climbing, and I
feel in debt to the mountains for helping to shape
the person I am today.

In The News

Sacramento Bee
-Head In The Clouds: 15 November, 2007
-UC Davis Student Tells Chilling Tale
Of Climbing Everest: 10 June, 2008

The California Aggie
-A high-altitude spring break lies on the horizon: 17 March, 2008
-To Mt. Everest and Back: 30 June, 2008

CBS 13 Good Morning Sacramento
-Everest Climber Tanner Bixler: 13 June, 2008
-Sir Edmund Hillary's Birthday: 20 July, 2008

The San Diego Union Tribune
-Q & A: Climbing Mt. Everest: 19 June, 2008
I am 20 years old and am from San Diego, California. I attend the  University of California Davis, and am a third year, majoring in economics. I love the college life, and I have made life long friends for years to come. I live and work at the UC Davis Fire Department as part of a student resident fire fighting program offered to a lucky 15 students every two years. We respond to emergency calls in and around the campus alongside career firefighters. I take great pride in this program, which has shown me a career path which I am strongly considering. I have learned so much about the job. The students and career firefighters have come to be my family. It is such a healthy environment to be around, and a great inspiration to stay focused.
[ support ] 
Some of the firefighters on B shift and I during our badging ceremony. I am on the left
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