9 September 2013 | Ashland, OR — This July four high school seniors from southern Oregon spent 15 days in the Kalmiopsis federal Wilderness Area. They hiked in 105 degree weather. They clipped brush and sawed logs. They lived for two weeks without any amenities. And they got a $1,500 scholarship for college.
In a few weeks they will go to college with a little less financial burden. But that’s not all. The lessons they learned on the trail are going to help them succeed. Here are a few things they said about their experience in anonymous surveys.
“I got over my fear of heights.”
“I’m better equipped to dealing with life.”
“I learned to listen to my body and take better care of it.”
“I’m making more pro-active decisions.”
“I made a list of objectives to help prepare me for school.”
This pilot program was successful, and we learned a lot to improve it for next year. Thanks to our Director’s Society and other members for donating the scholarships. A detailed trip report will be included in our Summer Round-Up Report coming in late September.
