What is your favorite travel memory?
It’s so hard to choose just one, but one that truly stands out in my mind is hiking up to see the sunrise from in front of Cerro Torre in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. I was with my South America Gap Semester group, nearly halfway through the program and wrapping up our time in Chile. We had just spent five days hiking the W Trek, seeing some of the best mountain, glacier, and lake views in all of Patagonia. Our legs were tired, but the towers loomed overhead, and hiking up there would be the culminating point of the adventure. Unfortunately, the weather forecast was … mediocre at best. My co-instructor and I talked with rangers and discussed whether it was worth trying to catch the sunrise even if clouds and rain were expected. We set our alarms for 3 am with a “nothing ventured, nothing gained” attitude, and woke up far too soon to pitch-black drizzle. We slogged up the switchbacks with our headlamps aglow, stopping to re-fuel with snacks and to pick gravel out of our hair when the famous Patagonian winds got to be too much. Three hours later, when we got up to the iconic vista, we could hardly believe our eyes - the iconic towers were not only coated in a pink alpenglow, but a huge rainbow shone behind them!! I’ll never forget the joy we all felt in that moment - a sense of victory, accomplishment, and that we were rewarded for our hard work and early wake-up!
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
I’ve learned so much about myself while leading ARCC trips, and over time, I’ve worked on my perfectionist tendencies. I can plan all I want and try to make the day go off without a hitch, but there are so many things out of my control that I can’t even anticipate. I’ve learned that while it’s important to set things up and be intentional, it’s more important to be able to roll with the punches and adapt to whatever circumstances you’re in. That’s what builds resilience, and it’s a superpower that can make even the “worst” situation into a fun travel experience. I’ve had to learn not only to rely on my teammates and to ask for help, but also to depend on my own ability to make decisions in stressful situations. So many of these learnings act in conjunction to make me a more balanced leader with a wider range of perspectives and skills. I can attest that the experiential education of working in experiential education has been unparalleled preparation for whatever life throws at me!
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
I love hearing stories from students about how ARCC trips have formed their future paths. Many students make lifelong friends in the programs. The two students I led had done seven ARCC trips between the two of them, most of them together. Many have written to me over the years sharing their next adventures and talking about how their experience on an ARCC trip opened their eyes to what was possible. Recently, I got a message from a student I led on the Australia & Fiji summer trip. He shared that traveling with ARCC boosted his confidence and his ability to thrive in a new place. He helped plan a trip to Europe for himself and his friends, and he said he chalked the success of that trip up to the skills he learned while traveling with ARCC. I’ve caught up with numerous students over the years who’ve kept traveling, trying new things, and pursuing their passions, thanks to their time with ARCC, and it always inspires me to hear that!
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
I’ve led over a dozen ARCC trips, but some of the most incredible itineraries still elude me! One that has always captured my imagination is the Belize summer program. I love scuba diving, and getting to stay at Reef CI on a private island and do nothing but dive and sit in a hammock for five days sounds like a dream come true!
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
Something that attracted me to ARCC and still keeps me coming back to lead trips is the variety of programs on offer at such a high quality. With ARCC, I’ve led everything from backpacking trips in Yosemite to jungle adventures in Costa Rica, with scuba diving trips in Hawaii sprinkled in between. They really offer something for everyone if you have a sense of adventure and a desire to try something new. I owe so much of my success to these programs to the hard work of the office staff behind the scenes, planning the itineraries, training the new leaders, and communicating with participants to help prepare them for their adventure. The office staff is kind and understanding of the challenges we face working in the field, and I’ve felt so supported by them whenever we need to call with an update, question, or just to talk through an issue. I feel proud to be a part of the team every time I’m on a trip, but especially during our annual staff training. Getting to meet all the new leaders and catching up with returning leaders is so rewarding. I appreciate ARCC for the unique and welcoming community they provide and the amazing people they hire to lead the trips!
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
I think the program leaders are the ones who help make ARCC successful (I admit I am biased). We’re interacting with students daily, demonstrating our ability to be flexible, adaptable, passionate, and believe in the transformative power of travel. The days can be long, the challenges unexpected, and sometimes it feels like everything is going wrong, but we are trained to stay calm under pressure, multitask, and rely on our own skills, while also knowing we always have the support of the full-time staff in the office.
I believe that all of us, field staff and office staff included, truly believe in why we’re there and the importance and necessity of cultural exchange, service learning, and international education. We put the students first and make sure their needs are taken care of while also challenging them to take ownership of themselves, self-advocate, and keep an open mind. Our ability to work well as a team and keep these many factors in mind is a definitely a huge factor in what makes us succeed!
I believe that all of us, field staff and office staff included, truly believe in why we’re there and the importance and necessity of cultural exchange, service learning, and international education. We put the students first and make sure their needs are taken care of while also challenging them to take ownership of themselves, self-advocate, and keep an open mind. Our ability to work well as a team and keep these many factors in mind is a definitely a huge factor in what makes us succeed!