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Pay it forward for the next generation of Belyndas....
Steve Hagler
Steve Hagler
On Thursday, May 8th, one of my former students, Belynda, will again rappel off the roof of a downtown skyscraper, this time the Hyatt Union Square Hotel for Outward Bound California’s 8th annual City Skyline Challenge, in service of OBCA's scholarship students. I’m writing to ask for your support of Belynda’s bold rappel.
Outward Bound California’s mission is to change lives through challenge and discovery, by leading students on outdoor expeditions in both wilderness and urban settings. OBCA gives students the chance to push their limits on these courses, and they come home with a sense of confidence, resilience, and compassionate connection to each other, and the earth, which stays with them for the rest of their lives.
Belynda was one of my Galileo Outdoor Adventure Program (GOAPe) students in the 1990s. She was a handful. Her parents were addicts; she went in and out of the foster care system; and she knew how to push my buttons. And did she ever. She also taught me all about how to bring compassion, empathy, and a no BS approach to supporting students to get back on track. Belynda was my student, but she was also my most impactful teacher. To this day we are connected by our mutual love and respect of one another that we grew and nurtured through thick and thin.
Belynda became a powerful peer leader in GOAPe. She was gifted at helping others learn how to accept help and to dig deep to do for themselves. We were able to secure her a spot as an Outward Bound Pinnacle scholar and she is now a fierce advocate for the power of outdoor education. Fast forward, she went on to become a middle school math teacher working in east bay public schools, and community college. 25 years later, she is home raising two awesome kids and playing ice hockey.
Now, she wants to pay it forward again to help the next generation of Belyndas, by raising scholarship funding through the rappel. She was intimidated by having to raise $3,000, but she’s now well on her way, and she’s formed a whole team of fundraising rappellers. I am contributing an additional $3,000. And I’m asking for your generous support to help them reach their team goal of $12,000.
Please make an online gift here, or by check or DAF designated to “Belynda City Skyline rappel/scholarship funding”. Please reply to me and/or Matt Patchell
(mpatchell@outwardboundcalifornia.org) if we can support your gift-making.
With gratitude,
Steve
Outward Bound California’s mission is to change lives through challenge and discovery, by leading students on outdoor expeditions in both wilderness and urban settings. OBCA gives students the chance to push their limits on these courses, and they come home with a sense of confidence, resilience, and compassionate connection to each other, and the earth, which stays with them for the rest of their lives.
Belynda was one of my Galileo Outdoor Adventure Program (GOAPe) students in the 1990s. She was a handful. Her parents were addicts; she went in and out of the foster care system; and she knew how to push my buttons. And did she ever. She also taught me all about how to bring compassion, empathy, and a no BS approach to supporting students to get back on track. Belynda was my student, but she was also my most impactful teacher. To this day we are connected by our mutual love and respect of one another that we grew and nurtured through thick and thin.
Belynda became a powerful peer leader in GOAPe. She was gifted at helping others learn how to accept help and to dig deep to do for themselves. We were able to secure her a spot as an Outward Bound Pinnacle scholar and she is now a fierce advocate for the power of outdoor education. Fast forward, she went on to become a middle school math teacher working in east bay public schools, and community college. 25 years later, she is home raising two awesome kids and playing ice hockey.
Now, she wants to pay it forward again to help the next generation of Belyndas, by raising scholarship funding through the rappel. She was intimidated by having to raise $3,000, but she’s now well on her way, and she’s formed a whole team of fundraising rappellers. I am contributing an additional $3,000. And I’m asking for your generous support to help them reach their team goal of $12,000.
Please make an online gift here, or by check or DAF designated to “Belynda City Skyline rappel/scholarship funding”. Please reply to me and/or Matt Patchell
(mpatchell@outwardboundcalifornia.org) if we can support your gift-making.
With gratitude,
Steve
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