Staff Spotlight: Mike DeLuca
Mike DeLuca has been a member of the Summit Clinical Team since 2018, although his history with Summit goes back further than that! Everyone in the Summit community values Mike’s energy – he is hardworking, kind, and doesn’t hesitate to bring hot sauce into the field when teams need a pick-me-up.
How long have you been working at Summit? What is your current role?
I have been a therapist at Summit since 2018– it will be 5 years in September 2023!
Had you ever done anything previously at Summit?
I was a guide here at Summit from 2008 to 2011, before I went back to school for my Masters.
Tell us about yourself! What about your life/background drew you to working at Summit?
I have been working with young people (often in wilderness settings) since roughly 2005. I studied Adventure Education in my undergraduate studies and that led me to work with Outward Bound. My time as an Instructor at Outward Bound really opened my eyes to the transformative power that experiences in wild places could have for young people. Those experiences led me to Summit. I joined the team at Summit as a guide because I wanted to continue to help young people get the support they needed. I already knew the power the wilderness offered, but I wanted to be a part of a therapeutic experience that could really help clients and their families achieve their goals. Summit was the obvious choice for me to continue that work, both as a young guide and then later as a not so young therapist.
What is your favorite part about working at Summit?
Watching young people discover how capable they really are!
What is one thing you wish you could tell students who are thinking about enrolling at Summit?
I think one of the hardest things about Summit is the decision to enroll. It’s a choice neither we nor your parents can make for you, and it is often scary. I want to honor that choice. I also want you to know that once you get here, we will be here to support you! Your therapist, your guides, your teachers, and your new teammates. We all honor that choice.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I like spending time in the wilderness. Sometimes I like to be out there with close friends, other times I seek out adventures alone. I really enjoy wilderness canoe tripping. I also enjoy backcountry skiing. Fly fishing has been a fun new adventure (and a humbling one!)
