'Magic' Moments
Ohio Wesleyan Students Inspired by Colorado Spring Break Wilderness Trek
Name: Etta Pierce '26
Hometown: Arlington, Vermont
High School: Hong Kong International School
Majors: Inclusive Elementary Education
Minors: Psychology
OWU Connection Experience: Participating in an Ohio Wesleyan spring break wilderness trek
"We traveled to southern Colorado to climb and backpack for a week. We spent four days in Colorado Springs, rock climbing in Red Rock Canyon Open Space and Garden of the Gods. We then traveled farther south to The Great Sand Dunes National Park, where we climbed North America's tallest sand dune and then backpacked into a dune field and spent the night."
Pierce traveled with students Maya Burlingame '26, Addison Demaline '27, Natalie Dieball '27, Nathan Foulkrod '27, Rachel Green '27, Charlotte Housh '26, Laura Laybourne '29, Logan McFarland '27, and Ian Sander '27. They were advised on their trip by Associate Chaplain William Hayes, OWU's director of wilderness ministry.
Why This Experience?
"I pursued this opportunity because it allowed me to combine two things I'm passionate about: being outside and talking about my faith. I have been on multiple trips with OMT [Outdoor Ministry Team] throughout my four years at OWU, and the two spring break wilderness treks I have been on were incredibly influential.
"Not only did I meet new people and create friendships in an environment that is so unique compared to being on campus, I was also given time to spend on my own, something I seem to rarely have time for at school, and reflect on various questions and readings that were given to us. This trip to Colorado was an extremely meaningful way for me to begin wrapping up my time at Ohio Wesleyan."
I sat and stared at the sunset and truly found myself in the present moment. The wind had stopped; it was completely silent. It was pure magic.
Favorite Moments
"My favorite moment of this trip was on our sixth night when we backpacked into the sand dunes, set up camp, and hiked farther up to watch the sunset. It was super windy, and the sunset didn't start off as anything remarkable. When we thought it was at its peak, we all began to spread out across the dune into our own space.
"Then, the sky transformed into a mixture of orange, yellow, pink, blue, and purple. Behind us, there was an alpine glow on the mountains. I sat and stared at the sunset and truly found myself in the present moment. The wind had stopped; it was completely silent. It was pure magic."
Lessons Learned
"Something that this experience reaffirmed for me was my desire to give opportunities to others to experience the same joy that outdoor recreation brings me. I believe that impactful learning can happen outdoors and teaches us skills that we would not develop as deeply if we were in a classroom.
"This greatly ties to the post-grad position I recently accepted and the career path I am interested in pursuing. As the student leader of this trip, I was also able to utilize my leadership skills, which gave me confidence that I can continue leading trips like these in the future.
"Experiences like this are transformative because they challenge you, encourage you to be vulnerable, and ultimately allow you to grow as an individual in an environment that is safe and supportive."
Campus Involvements
"I am a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority; I served for a year on the Panhellenic Council; I am a member of the Outdoor Ministry Team; I am the president of Rock Climbing Club, and the president of Kappa Delta Pi, the Education Honor Society, and a member of Psi Chi, the Psychology Honor Society."
Why Ohio Wesleyan?
"I chose to attend OWU because of their Inclusive Elementary Ed program, their small class sizes, the fact that my professors would actually know me as a person, and their generous scholarships and financial aid."
Plans After Graduation
"I accepted a long-term internship with the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center in Colorado and will be providing adaptive recreational therapy programming, such as rock climbing, paddling, backpacking, and mountain biking, to kids and adults with special needs."