How ARCC Changed My Life: An Alumni Story 20 Years in the Making
I went on my first of five ARCC trips – three as a student and two as a leader – in 2003. More than 20 years later, I will never forget how my experiences with ARCC influenced the rest of my life. As a middle schooler, I was navigating weird feelings and tough relationships that were my “everything.” Being taken out of my Connecticut bubble and placed into a situation where I had to embrace new people and unfamiliar scenery was foreign, wild, and ultimately unforgettable.
In July 2003, I arrived in Seattle for the Pacific Northwest adventure. I showed up with a brand new backpack filled with all the items the employee at Eastern Mountain Sports told me to buy; I am sure some items still had tags on them. My backpack was significantly heavier than everyone else’s because I had trouble parting with certain fleece jackets and didn’t believe I wouldn’t need both of my hairbrushes. I had probably worn my hiking boots once and truly thought I would need ALL utensils: knife, fork, AND spoon.
My trip to the Pacific Northwest was filled with “firsts”: flying alone, pooping outside, eating oatmeal, and sleeping in a tent. I was absolutely that kid who showed up with zero experience in the outdoors. And then I saw the Cascade Mountains. I sea kayaked among a pod of whales. I woke up early to find starfish during low tide. I saw and experienced things so far beyond anything I could have imagined. By the end of the trip, I had gained an incredible appreciation for parts of the world I didn’t even know existed.
One trip led to another, and in 2004, I found myself on the Southeast Alaska trip. I summited my first mountain outside of Haines, Alaska, hiked the Golden Staircase into Canada, and played sardines in the literal middle of nowhere. I fell in love with Alaska and returned the following summer on ARCC’s 40-day Alaska Expedition. It was that trip that truly changed the trajectory of my life. I learned what Class V rapids were and can forever say that I went ice climbing. I learned that I could hike up an entire mountain pass, only to realize it was the wrong one, sob the entire way down, and then run up the correct pass – with the help of a Snickers bar from the “High-Low pack.”
Most importantly, I learned the impact that my attitude and actions have on other people. I saw how much influence I can have and what that can mean for the success of a group. I wasn’t just contributing to some group project at school; I was committing to the actual well-being and survival of others.
I also learned that one of my leaders, Zach Dorman, was one of the coolest human beings I had ever met, and I wanted nothing more than to be just like him. After the Alaska Expedition, I followed Zach’s advice and spent my next summer on a 30-day NOLS course. It was a very different vibe (definitely fewer songs and games), but it put all of the skills that ARCC taught me to the test. I was elected as one of the leaders for the Independent Student Expeditions and was trusted to guide a group for three days without instructors. I treated someone for hypothermia, fell in love with fly fishing, and learned what happens when you run out of fuel for cooking three days before the resupply.
Fast forward, I went to college at the University of Montana, Zach’s alma mater, with the intention of preparing myself to become an ARCC leader so I could be just like him. Seriously. I studied forestry, worked at outdoor camps, and got my Wilderness First Responder. In 2010, I was eligible to apply as a leader and got the job!
I still remember learning that Zach still worked at ARCC and would be running my staff training that summer. I’ll never forget when he stood up in front of all the leaders and got teary-eyed discussing the impact ARCC’s trips have on students and how our roles as leaders can change lives. He talked about all of this coming full circle, and I knew he was talking about me.
That summer, I led two community service trips in California that included hiking in Yosemite, surfing in the Pacific Ocean, and hosting Top Chef cookoffs on the beaches of Lake Tahoe. I was so energized and inspired by these experiences; I knew I wanted to dedicate my life to inspiring future generations. So after I graduated from college, I completed two years of service with Teach For America, teaching middle school science. That marked the beginning of a 12-year career teaching and sharing my love of science and the outdoors with kids – the same way Zach and my ARCC leaders had shared it with me.
ARCC gave me access to incredible people and places, but most importantly, it fostered an environment that allowed a privileged, non-outdoorsy kid to step out of her comfort zone and discover that there is so much more in the world than the bubble I had always known. I may not spend my summers in Alaska anymore, but I will never forget how the summers that I did brought me to where I am today.