1. My STEP Signature Project was the Grand Canyon Adventure led through Buck-I-SERV and the OAC at OSU which included 24 hours of service over 3 days repairing and maintaining a trail in Sedona, Arizona that had been washed out by a flash flood in February. The second part of the -2-week trip included a 4-day backpacking trip inside the Grand Canyon as well as 4 days of white water rafting down the Colorado River within the canyon walls.

2.  One way my worldview changed was my respect for nature and the animals living in it grew immensely due to the leaders’ respect and intentionality with everything we did from picking a campsite to packing out our trash to not disturbing any rocks or plants. My assumption that I had figured out a plan for my life and lifestyle changed to me being more open minded to spend the summer before dental school working an adventurous job or going on a road trip to enjoy the great outdoors while I still have the freedom of open summers as a student.

I think I learned a great deal about myself in the sense that I love meeting new circles of people and expanding my bubble so that I don’t grow closed minded or sheltered. This trip brought a new group of friends that shared in the transformational experience and I’m sure I will share more outdoor adventures with them which is something I had been wanting for a while but didn’t know what steps to take. I also learned that if my mentality is strong, my body can be physically pushed to its limits, and I can accomplish big challenges. That realization inspired me to want to challenge my athletic abilities more, especially after going from playing competitive sports throughout childhood to lacking that challenge in college.

3. My respect for nature grew when the trip leaders explained the ethics of Leave No Trace which focus on 1) having a plan, 2) walking on durable paths, 3) disposing of waste properly, 4) taking pictures instead of disturbing wildlife, 5) minimizing campfire impacts, 6) respecting wildlife, and 7) respecting others on the trails. One leader emphasized to us that the wildlife around us from the mule deer to the scorpions to the microorganisms have just as much, if not more, right to be there as we do, and they deserve our respect and care. That meant not stepping off defined paths or moving rocks or disposing of waste on the land or letting food crumbs fall on the ground because each of those things could offset the ecosystem. I had never thought about nature that intentionally or intently, but it really opened my mind to being aware of the impacts I make on the environment, no matter how seemingly small, and it equipped me with practical ways to minimize my impact.

My assumption that I had figured out a plan for my life and lifestyle transformed when I heard about the life stories of other people on the trip including the leaders and a ranger who worked with us to maintain the trail in Sedona. They had spent seasons leading rafting trips or working for National Parks which helped them gain life skills and meet new circles of people and create once in a lifetime memories. This caused me to look at the plans in my life which include taking the prerequisites I need for dental school, getting the observational experience I need for dental school, getting into dental school, and working as a dentist. While these are things I look forward to and find purpose in, I realized how important it is to maintain a well-rounded life full of new experiences and new people. This is something that has always been important to me, but I think I’ve lost sight of that as I have been planning my future. These conversations with the trip leaders and ranger inspired me to set goals for my near future like spending the summer before dental school working an adventurous job or going on a road trip, and lifetime goals like visiting all the national parks. These goals are just as exciting to me as dental school and light a fire in the outdoor-loving side of me.

This trip helped me realize how important it is for me to immerse myself in new circles of people and make friends with different life views than mine. The first two years of college I focused on surrounding myself with Christian community which brought me my closest friends who I’m so grateful for, but recently I have been feeling like I need to go outside my comfort zone and branch out to make friends who do not have the same religious or worldviews as myself. It was incredible to see the meditative reflections one of the participants walked us through daily or hear how different students were raised and how they find their purpose in life. My own views didn’t waver, but I kept an open mind to appreciate how others have made sense of life and how they self-improve. I’m so excited to grow these new friendships and to go on more outdoor adventures with people who share in my appreciation and respect for nature.

During the backpacking portion of the trip particularly, my body was physically challenged to hike 9 miles for 4 days straight for a total of 36 miles within the canyon. It was worth it to feel so accomplished and proud of myself for physically and mentally enduring the long hikes and pushing myself to keep a steady pace while making it a fun experience for our whole group as we saw truly breathtaking views. I talked to one of the trip leaders in my group about missing the competitive athleticism I found in soccer and basketball. She felt the same way after not playing volleyball since high school but found an alternative challenge through rock climbing and backpacking. This conversation inspired me to spend more time being active and rock climbing at the OAC to challenge myself competitively with clear goals of reaching the top of the climbing wall and feeling the accomplishment of mastering it.

4. The transformation I experienced from this trip will have an impact on me far beyond the two weeks I spent in Arizona. It helped me become a more well-rounded person because I now have a stronger desire to implement outdoor adventures into more aspects of my life. I doubt I’ll get to a point in my life where I’ll be able to spend years of my life traveling around the world, but this trip has shown me how much can happen in two weeks and the power of dedicating some time like a weekend or a summer while still in college to exploring and experiencing new things outdoors. These outdoor adventures teach life skills and enhance self-determination and self-esteem. While my professional goals have remained the same, I am more willing to be flexible with the timeline of dentistry so as to not get to the point where I feel trapped and on a narrow path. Keeping my life stimulating with weekend trips or adventures mixed in will help me keep perspective and realize how small I am in this big, beautiful world. With this transformative experience, I am also more open to other cultures and ideas other than my own and am more willing to admit that I haven’t figured out everything in life. I’ve seen how other people make sense of the world and their worldviews are just as valid as mine.