Participant Spotlight: Erin's Journey of Growth and Adventure
Erin, a Putnam Vocational High School senior, joined our expeditions to challenge herself and connect with her peers. Despite finding her first expedition quite difficult, she returned. Two more times. “I really enjoy the night skies. I love looking at the moon and stars, and it's so much easier to see it all in the woods.” Over the course of three expeditions, Erin not only embraced the challenges of hiking, camping, and navigating lakes and rivers but also emerged as a leader within her group. Erin moves through challenges quietly and persistently. When a peer needs support, she appears and offers compassionate guidance. Her all-male crew shared that they respect her, inside and outside the boxing ring, for her strength and kindness. Erin also discovered that you don’t have to be perfect, loud, or totally sure of yourself to lead. “I learned that you don't have to feel like you're doing really good to be someone's leader or role model.” Her journey with O...