STUDENT LEADER SPOTLIGHT: Spencer de Vries: “Quasar”

“I’ve learned a lot of things at Outdoor School. Phototropism is when a plant moves because of light, horns are keratin sheaths, and soil can be divided into three categories. While none of that is very relevant to my daily life, those aren’t the only things I’ve learned...and they’re not the things that will stick with me for the rest of my life. ODS has helped me grow as an individual. I’ve learned how to be loud and confident when I need to be, but I’ve also learned how to be a quiet leader. Perhaps most importantly, I’ve learned to be comfortable with who I am and engage in whatever community I’m a part of. And...I want to create and ensure that kind of community wherever I go. Outdoor School has also taught me that things don’t usually go exactly how you wish but what matters is how you react...And I intend to react with the same compassion my fellow student leaders showed me. I will react as a leader, whether quiet or loud. I will react as me.”