In the last 2 weeks, all 9th grade boys and girls were invited to the Outward Bound trips with their junior and senior Big Sibs in Fishkill, New York. Students collaborated in teams on low ropes challenges and challenged themselves to go on the high ropes courses. The trip was certainly an unforgettable experience for many attendees!
Below is a reflection by Brian Duran, Class of 2017, about his last years in high school as a mentee and mentor in the Big Sib Program.
\”There is no denying the fact that I have changed as a person, whether it’s for better or worse, and for this I can thank a lot to the Outward Bound Big Sib Program. The Outward Bound program has given me the tools not only to learn from others but also share my experience with those who need help, in and out of school. When I first entered high school, I was a shy kid with many many issues. The Outward Bound program gave me a friend to talk to and a person who had gone to similar struggles, my mentor Messiah. Messiah gave me hope and taught me a lot not only about himself but about myself as well. The Outward Bound program gave me a chance to use what I learned from being a mentee to help someone who was once in my footsteps. Personally, I wouldn’t do the program if I wasn’t helping someone else. I feel like as a person and as the leader that I intend to be, it’s something that I must do. This is especially for the Essex Street community and Outward Bound because they both have helped me grow as a student, an adult and a leader. At the end of the day, I guess what I can say from my whole Outward Bound experience is that there are going to be times where life is going to test me, and thanks to Outward Bound, I can say that I am ready for those challenges.\”