Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.
– Golda Meir
Savannah and Sam each had the opportunity to go Outward Bound as young teens. Now, more than ten years later, I had the opportunity to talk with both of them and hear about how their course experiences back then, influence their lives today.
Savannah Cummins
When Savannah was 16, her parents enrolled her on a VOBS 28-day Intercept course. She admits it was tough, and often times awful, but three weeks after returning home from that course she found herself missing the experience. The simplicity of being on course, waking up, cooking with her crew, paddling from destination to destination and being a part of a team. As a result, Savannah decided to go on course again, not once, but two more times. Adding a 50-day Pathfinder course and an eight-day Dog Sledding course to her list of VOBS expeditions.
Q.) Where do you work? And what inspired you to pursue a career in this field?
A.) I work as a freelance photographer and videographer (SAVY media) primarily in the outdoor industry. I’m not sure I’d say I pursued this career. I think we found each other at the right time. I found climbing while working seasonal jobs in Jackson, WY and fell in love. After a little over a year of climbing, I injured myself resulting in shoulder surgery. I picked up a camera to distract myself and in doing so found a career I love!
Q.) What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
A.) When I was starting down the path of becoming a photographer, I was a bit lost on how to progress my work, I decided to try and go to school for photography… I figured this would help me progress. A mentor of mine suggested against this. He told me that if I wanted to make it, I didn’t need to go to school and pay student debt but rather put myself in outdoor scenarios that would force me to learn. Looking back, this was some of the best advice. I was trying to find the easy way… the fast track to kick start my career but the truth is there is no easy or fast track sometimes.
Q.) What is your advice for future leaders?
A.) I think oftentimes we’re taught to have a back-up plan for when things don’t go as planned, but I believe that also gives an easy way to back out of something when things get hard or don’t go our way. If you want something, if you’re passionate about something, put in all you’ve got and don’t make a back-up plan… that way you’re forced to find success.
Q.) What is your favorite outdoor activity?
A.) Rock climbing
Q.) Tell us about a person that changed your life for the better?
A.) My parents sending me on an Outward Bound course when I was 16 was single-handedly something that changed the projection of my life for the better. It gave me direction, purpose, and skills that I use every day in life.
Q.) What moment(s) from course do you think about the most?
A.) The thing that sticks with me the most is when my parents picked me up after my first OB course, I told them I’d never sleep in a tent again, yet I easily spend five months out of the year sleeping in a tent now!
Q.) What were the hardest moments?
A.) Leaving the comforts of home and going into the unknown.
Q.) What were your favorite moments?
A.) Same as above… after it was said and done!
Q.) How did VOBS impact the way you live your life today?
A.) VOBS gave me skills to take into my everyday life, along with my career. It gave me confidence, integrity and direction.
Q.) Our values are: Compassion, Integrity, Excellence, Inclusion and Safety. Which VOBS Value is your favorite and why?
A.) It’s hard to say which is my favorite because I think they’re all important! I think the value I took away most from my course was integrity. This wasn’t something I was taught in school or at home as I was a bit rebellious. After course and going home I learned how to be rebellious while having some integrity.
Q.) Why should people go on a VOBS course?
A.) Regardless if you end up pursuing a life spent outdoors like I have, it’ll be something you never forget. You will grow from this experience in small ways or big ways, be pushed outside your comfort zone and come home with a new perspective.
Q.) What is one word you would use to describe VOBS?
A.) Transformative
Sam Cohen
At thirteen, Sam and nine of her classmates signed up to go on a week long VOBS canoeing course for middle school students in the Boundary Waters. The theme of the course was “Connect with Courage.” The course was specifically designed for girls in their young teens looking to build confidence, leadership, and community. Now in her late twenties, and with a professional career in New York, she’s still finding ways to build on those same skills from course.
Q.) Where do you work? And what inspired you to pursue a career in this field?
A.) I work in New York as an Art Director with Decoded Advertising. I went to school at the Pratt Institute. At the time I knew I liked art but I wasn’t sure where to go with it. Some friends encouraged me to check out the communications design department. I loved it instantly.
I enjoy my work now because I have the opportunity to work around and with a lot of creative people but I don’t have to be the sole creative person working on a project. The agency I work at was started by old MRY folk, a professor from Pratt. When my copywriter and I joined it was just 15 people and now it’s up to a hundred.
Q.) What is the best advice you ever received?
A.) “Be kind to everyone.” Everyone has something they’re going through or struggling with. You never know when you may meet again or how your paths may cross.
Q.) What is your advice for future leaders?
A.) “Try everything.”
Q.) What is your favorite outdoor activity?
A.) Hiking and snowboarding.
Q.) Tell us about a person that changed your life for the better?
A.) My friend Jack, my partner that I work with at our agency. He’s an all around phenomenal human being. We met the first day at college and have been friends ever since.
Q.) How did you first hear about Outward Bound?
A.) My parents. My dad has so many Outward Bound stories; however, my first memory of Outward Bound was when someone came to the house to talk about the program.
Q.) Why did you want to go on course?
A.) I didn’t! At the time, I thought, ‘I don’t like camping… I don’t want to be uncomfortable… I don’t want to smell!’ Now, as an adult, I think to myself, ‘that was an incredible thing to do.’ It’s difficult to put my Outward Bound experience into words. You don’t know until you go. There are so many layers to it.
Q.) What moment(s) from course do you think about the most?
A.) The hardest moment for me was facing my fear of heights. I remember the rock climbing on the first day. I was terrified but got through it. My favorite moments on course were actually the simplest… all of us sitting out near the water on the edge. It was beautiful. We had just made a fire and I remember this calmness of being together and being outside. I also remember playing a hydration game while canoeing to make sure we were drinking water. I don’t remember what it was, just that we were all laughing so hard.
Q.) How has VOBS impacted the way you live your life today?
A.) It was the start of who I am today. At the time I was just learning to love hiking and camping and it’s something I still make a part of my life today. I appreciate nature, pushing myself mentally and physically.
Outward Bound helped instigate a lot of things. It started my independence. As a result, after my course I signed up for an Argentinian biking tour and later on decided to study abroad. That might not have happened had I not had my Outward Bound experience first.
Q.) Our values are: Compassion, Integrity, Excellence, Inclusion and Safety. Which VOBS value is your favorite and why?
A.) Compassion and Inclusion. I find myself leaning on those two values all the time. Similarly, those are also the values I take note of in other people.
Q.) Why should people go on a VOBS course?
A.) Whether or not you’re into the outdoors, going on course is a great way to understand yourself better… How you react to situations and people. There’s a lot of comfort in that and a lot of challenge.
Q.) Why do we NEED VOBS in this world?
A.) These experiences allow for people to grow in a way they wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to. Having these programs makes a better people, better communities. It’s life altering for anyone that experiences it.
Q.) One word you would use to describe VOBS?
A.) Challenging (in a positive way!)
Giving or Going Outward Bound
You can make Voyageur Outward Bound Programming possible for students that could not otherwise afford it. Join our growing list of student supporters. You can donate online with this link, send me an email or give me a call: (651) 401-0635.
If you would like to go on your own adventure, check out our list of Voyageur Outward Bound Courses here.
About the Author
Courtney Kupsch is Development Director and Chief Optimism Officer at Voyageur Outward Bound School. Courtney lends sunshine, humor and creative thinking to our mission. With over ten years of fundraising, marketing and youth advocacy experience, Courtney leads with wisdom and strategy to communicate the power of challenge and discovery programming. Courtney is an avid community champion, an eager volunteer and a bold urban explorer. She enjoys the Twin Cities art scene, biking and paddle boarding our lovely lakes.
