challenges, successes and favorite memories

This week we took time out to write about our challenges, successes and favorite memories of the semester. The following words sum it up:

Challenges and Successes at SOAR

By EJ Kornhauser


I can’t believe it; the semester is coming to a close. Summer is creeping up on us at an astonishing rate. The sun is shining and the weather is fantastic, people are in great spirits and I’m going to be a high school graduate in less than two weeks.

Over the past semester SOAR has given me the reality check I desperately needed to get my life together. It’s been a living metaphor of how messed up and irresponsible I had been the year before coming to this enlightening “Outdoor Learning Center” - counselors and teachers alike have been saviors academically and morally. My most gratifying success here at SOAR has most definitely been the ability to focus on my academics without prompting from teachers, friends or even coaches. I’ve learned that I’m a talented writer and have a passion for that field that I’m considering pursuing upon my enrollment in college.

However, my patience has often been tested while living a lifestyle that most people in society never get the chance to experience. In the beginning of my senior year at SOAR I was spiteful, cynical and even had some moments where I felt overwhelming amounts of grief and sorrow. In my first few weeks being here I glorified the aspects of my enrollment at public school and I had looked down on my teammates who had recently come out of private schools and other programs that aren’t the traditional way of learning. Over time, I had pushed aside my pompous views and accepted my new teammates and friends for who they really were: normal human beings.
I must say, SOAR has been a challenging experience for me, but there has been academic and personal growth to come from this culture shock. It’s been a pleasure to have been a semester student at SOAR for my senior year; I’ve met some interesting people, taken a look at my life form another perspective and had a lot of fun within the journey. Whenever I look back on these days in the future I won’t help but be able to smile knowing that I had traversed the southwest all throughout my senior year!
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Success!

By and about Mitchell Wilkinson-Harrison

My biggest success this semester at SOAR was getting through all of my school work. It feels good that I was able to get all of it done and that my teachers, Rachel and Karla, and my trip leaders, Beth and Kenji, were there to help me when I needed it. I’m a lot better at asking for help. I remember when I first came to SOAR for school last fall, I would just do the work and not ask for help—even when I needed it.

Skiing in Wyoming was really hard for me. I have never been skiing before. When I was trying to get up, my ski was close to Kenji’s head, and I almost kicked him in the head! It was hard to keep my balance on the skis, especially going downhill. They always went sideways instead of straight ahead. Even though it was very challenging, skiing was one of my favorite activities of the semester.
One of my favorite memories is of surfing during the California expedition. I’ve never been surfing before, so it was a great new activity. Even wiping out was fun! I went under the wave a couple of times, and got flipped over too. I was able to get up on my knees a few times, but I couldn’t stand up on the board. Being in the Pacific Ocean around big waves and playing with my group made it an awesome memory.

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By and about Spencer Malecki

SOAR had a lot of challenges for me.

One of the first challenges that I remember was a 16 mile round-trip hike into the Havasupai Native American reservation. It was one of the toughest physical challenges in my life but I overcame it.

One of the other most memorable challenges was a hike we took in Utah when I was sick. I persevered both coming in and out of the hike. There were also some memories I hope I never forget. One such moment is the time we were on a ferry to go to the Channel Islands. I was ship surfing (standing up in the boat during choppy waves) through a storm and somepeople were watching me. Then came the biggest wave during the wholeride and it hit the side of the boat which threw me into the air! It was definitely one of the funniest things that happened to me.

SOAR is a type of place you will never forget as long as you live because you have so many memories from there you can’t forget it!

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Success at Soar

By A.C. Berry

Some challenges I experienced at SOAR happened to be in the rock-climbing field. Before I came to SOAR I would go into downtown Asheville and climb at an artificial rock wall gym. I never envisioned myself actually climbing on real walls in places like Sinks Canyon, Wyoming and Red Rocks in Arizona. On our group’s first expedition in Arizona, I had trouble climbing any of the sites do to my fear of heights, reality had set in and I knew in my heart that I could not reach my personal goal for the day. My assumptions had been correct because I didn’t even make it off the ground, which was a major disappointment not only for me but for my teammates as well. The next day I finally managed (with a little coaching from Jeremy), to ascend a 5-7-rock face, which had boosted my confidence in volumes.

A big challenge for me at Soar when I first came here was anger management; even though I’ve made some process throughout the semester, I still have a long way to go learning about communicating properly and coping skills for my almost daily outbursts. While I was a student at Hargrave other cadets had given me issues relating to my height differences. I was the smallest member of my company so others didn’t understand the amount of stress I went through every day. One education so I could go to college in two years. Number two is the staff to help me with my anger as with myself helping with my anger. Some challenges here at soars that have made me mad have been not having the ability to go and see our friends/girl friends. At soar they have this thing that is called a proposal system where you have to earn the right to talk to friends or see them. Often when I used to get mad I would go and hit stuff, but know I think I have the ability to control of my anger to the point where I can say “hey guys I need some time, or, “please stop what you guys are doing”.

One of the biggest Memories for me was going surfing. That was cool to do because I have done it once before but it was when I was a child. That was cool because it brought back child hood memories.

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