Student Reflection: What I gained from Summit Achievement
I was lucky enough to be a student of Summit Achievement in 2004. Looking back, this was one of my most important experiences to shape who I am today. I was 14 and had difficulty coping with all of my family and school changes, along with creating healthy relationships. Summit allowed me an opportunity to “pause” my outside life and stressors and focus on myself, my healing, and identifying who I was as a person in this world.
The friendly residential competition of achieving summits gave us some drive to begin the process of working on making positive change. The guides and therapists taught me how to harness that drive for other things, including my own self discovery and healing. I can still remember my first expo, my first summit, and trying ice climbing. I can remember Nichol helping me train for my 5-mile run and planning my lead expo. Everything I learned from friction fires to identifying bird calls and animal tracks has stayed with me. They taught me how to gain my balance and center the chaos within myself by using nature.
The skills I learned to manage my anxiety, depression, and find self-motivation have carried me through my whole life since being at Summit. I created some lifelong bonds and still speak with other students from my cohort. Summit set me on my path to help others and I do so as a social worker every single day now. I left Summit with such a sense of pride and accomplishment. I don’t have a single bad thing to say about it! Summit changed my life, for the better. I can’t even imagine a more supportive, cohesive, and comprehensive staff and program. The fun I had on expo with my team and guides is honestly something I still talk about all the time. The bonds I made with other students have carried me even in my hardest times. Every part of me wants to tell the world how amazing this program is! So, go! Have fun, make friends, and find yourself!
– Anonymous
We are grateful for our Alumni who choose to tell their stories!