Lessons from a Graduate
For 40+ years, the Outdoor Pursuits (OP) program at Fort Lewis College has been celebrating its graduating seniors on a multi-day river trip that takes place at the conclusion of the spring semester. This trip is a one-of-a-kind tradition is memorable and special for those in the program, particularly for the seniors who have worked, played, and spent a great deal of time around the program during their years at the college. In years past, rumor has it that the OP program director would receive the diplomas of the graduating seniors and then award them in an “OP-style” graduation ceremony while on the river. Today, the trip departs the day after the college’s official graduation with “Grad Night” taking place a couple of nights into the trip. This night is always the highlight of the trip with a surf-n-turf gourmet meal and dutch oven Upside Down Pineapple Cake prepared to go along with the “River Formal” attire. The ceremony begins just after sunset with an opening statement from a first year followed by a commencement talk and then personal recognition of each senior. Below you will find some words of advice that were shared by one of this year’s graduate’s, Eli Uszacki. We thought his lessons were worth sharing to others. Enjoy!
Like many of you, the last four years of my life have been characterized by the college experience. Despite completing a B.A. with a minor, concentration, and certificate, I have learned just as much about the world (and myself) hanging around the Outdoor Pursuits (OP) program. Everyone who spends time with OP is exposed to life lessons, some of which are repeated endlessly and others that are experienced once and tattooed upon one’s memory. As I graduate and leave OP, I would like to review these lessons learned. Some were told to me directly and others I gleaned from time spent in the deserts of Utah, the high peaks of Colorado and on the glaciers of the Pacific Northwest. Others were experienced through the quiet moments of traversing endless miles of road and river; those most important moments of silence at sunrise; the tale of a marriage alone in a canyon; or the puff of a mother’s ashes in the high mountain winds.
Lesson 1: Care
It is so often we see the consequences of carelessness in the world. Other people running a loose program in every context. OP taught me to care. About how I acted. How I treated other people. How I packed my bag and set up camp. I learned to care, because if we don’t do it, then it won’t get done. Don’t count on other people to care, it must be done yourself.
Lesson 2: The Hard Makes the Good
I learned that the hard things, those that challenge you and seem to break you down, are the windows through which you see your true self. I saw this on snowy peaks and computer screens alike. Do the hard, because the hard makes the good.
Lesson 3: Follow the Patterns and Palindromes
Life is empty unless you fill it. I see a world where meaning is created by the individual (this is a horrifying thought at times). It helps to pay attention to the patterns and follow them, because what else is there to do? What else are you but a pattern? Or a name that reads forwards and backwards? If you see someone reappear in your life, then embrace them. If you find yourself drawn to something, follow it. If you feel content, then enjoy it. Find the seed of that feeling and plant it. Joy was never meant to be a crumb. In simpler terms, if it means something, then it means everything. Meaning is rare so cherish it.
Lesson 4: Slow Down, Think Twice
Always think before you act. Make sure to always plan three turns ahead. Almost every mistake I’ve made at OP has been because of haste and failing to plan and think rationally. Know that you can always step back and take a breath.
Lesson 5: People Matter
People make up our world. Leading a trip is impossible without a connection between the leader and the participants. No guide has ever succeeded without rapport. In the same way, trust between yourself and others will always benefit you, especially in a workplace. This is what makes a workplace into a home, and it is how OP became more than just a minimum wage job.
In conclusion, I would like to say that wondering about what could have been is a dangerous game. Fortunately, I don’t need to do that. I know that I was prepared for the world by the best. And I know that I had loads of fun in the process and that is what matters. So, as you all go on, remember to care, to seek the hard things and follow the patterns and palindromes. Slow down, think twice and pay attention to other people. It is the people that matter most.
Eli Uszacki
Eli is a recent graduate of Fort Lewis College, where he studied anthropology, writing, rock climbing and split boarding. When not desperately searching for a job, you can find him out enjoying the dirt trails and sandstone cliffs of the Durango area, provided there isn't snow in Silverton, CO.