"Thank you for choosing me to go on this trip. It has been an amazing experience. In the beginning, I didn't know if I could do this, but everyday was a little less hard than the next and I began to have fun and made tons of friends. Two of my struggles on course were having the strength to continue and learning to trust others. I will take these lessons home with me and put them to work when I think life gets too hard at home or school."
-Samantha, age 18; 21-day course, Philadelphia Scholarship
"Thank you so much for helping me attend Outward Bound. It is a course I've wanted to attend since I was a freshman in high school. I craved the chance for adventure, to experience nature first hand and to befriend strangers and to find qualities in myself that may be exposed in unique situations. At home, I will try my best to apply what I've learned to all things big or small."
-Anna, age 17; 21-day course, General Scholarship
"There have been many times on my course when I thought I couldn't do something and I couldn't believe it when I hiked for hours with a 40-50 pound pack on my back and climbed a mountain, trusting myself and other people to help me. Thanks to you, I feel now like I can do anything."
-Njeri, age 16; 21-day course, General Scholarship
"I would like to thank you for giving me this wonderful opportunity. This entire experience was the experience of a lifetime [for me]. I never thought I'd be able to do the things that I have done here. I met so many people, people who make me smile every morning when I wake up. I wake up feeling proud of myself and the others I have been around for the past two weeks."
-Keith, age 17; 14-day course, Washington, D.C. Scholarship
"As I sit here [at the end of my course] I couldn't be more grateful for your donation making this trip possible for me. I have grown a lot since [day one] of course, for the better. I am now a more confident person and I know how to communication better. I have a new sense of adventure and a willingness to try new things. It has been a life-changing trip that I will never forget. I'm excited to go home and transfer what I've learned to my life there."
-Liyah, age 21; 72-day International Semester course, General Scholarship
"As I sit under a clear, brilliantly starry sky on the final night of my course here in Patagonia, I'm writing to thank you for your invaluable contribution which helped allow me to take part in this course and, beyond these fourteen days, to become a part of the greater Outward Bound tradition. In my two weeks of service and backpacking on the Patagonia steppes, I have learned many valuable lessons. I have learn how to work a campstove, compress the gear in my pack, and to help my crew navigate our way safely up numerous summits. More important, however, are the other life skills I have gained on this journey. I have learned to create an environment full of teamwork, mutual respect and trust."
-Becca, age 23; Patagonia Backpacking & Service course, General Scholarship
"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to go on this Outward Bound course. It was hard, I was homesick, but I stayed with it because I realized I was a strong person and I can do anything. Also, this course taught me that there will be many more things that are hard in my life to come, but the only way to get through it is to trust yourself, have self-reliance and confidence."
-Kiara, age 14; 14-day course, Charlotte Scholarship
"On my Outward Bound course, I learned to appreciate what I have and learned to get along with people I don't know well. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to try something not everyone gets to experience."
-Mark, age 15; 14-day course, Philadelphia Scholarship
"Thank you so much for helping me be able to have this experience. It was tough, but I quickly learned how life changing it was to be in the woods. I was put through intense physical challenges and stressful situations and we all helped each other get through it. I learned about the 4 Pillars of Outward Bound. This course has changed me."
-Erik, age 18; 14-day course, Western North Carolina Scholarship
"I would like to thank you for helping me 'go outward bound.' I was challenged by how tough it was... It made me a stronger person on the inside and out, from when I got homesick to when I hiked up to a mountain to dealing with bugs. I loved seeing a mountain view, it was incredible and unbelievable how high up we were and how high we hiked!"
-Deja, age 14; 8-day course, Charlotte Scholarship