ANNIE’S STORY

A love of the outdoors

Hometown

Bainbridge Island, WA

Trip

Rocky Mountain Adventure

COLLEGE

Bowdoin College

Home » Leader Stories » Annie

Annie’s Experience

Leading
By Example

I am a junior at Bowdoin College studying mathematics and education. I joined the rowing team my freshman year, and it has been one of the best experiences I’ve had! I get to spend my mornings out on water, and I served on the officer team last year to help integrate first-years on our team. While Overland was definitely the highlight of my year, I’ve loved exploring Maine and building new friendships on campus. This semester, I am studying abroad in Prague, and I’ve loved exploring the city and meeting new people.

Being A Leader

“One of my favorite parts of the day was Dessert Circle, a time where we all had the chance to reflect on the events of the day and check-in with our students. My co-leaders, Annika and Ravi, and I would brainstorm a Question of the Day, usually something fun that led to wild, imaginative responses that made everyone laugh. It was a wonderful way to end the day, get to know one another, and remember all the fun things we had done.”

Summer’s outdoors, With kids

Exploring New Parts
of the World

I grew up on an island near Seattle, and the outdoors has always played an important role in my life. Even if it’s just a walk around the neighborhood, getting outside has always been what I look forward to, and Overland provides amazing opportunities to explore new parts of the world. Additionally, I’ve really enjoyed my time working with kids. In high school, I worked as a soccer coach with a wide range of ages and absolutely loved it. Now, as an education major, I am considering becoming a teacher, and I love the energy and joy that kids bring to the world. Overland provided the perfect opportunity to combine both these interests, spending time with incredible kids in beautiful places.

Favorite Memories

Building
lasting relationships

While I will never forget the beautiful views and hikes we did last summer, the part that stands out to me the most are the relationships we built with our students. By the end of the two week trip, it wasn’t unusual that I could barely finish my dinner from laughing so hard. Without technology or outside interruptions, I felt like I was able to get to know our students in a meaningful way, and I always looked forward to our silly games, cooking, or just hanging out around camp.

Annie and her group break for lunch — with an incredible view — in Rocky Mountain National Park.

As the trip progresses, the hiking gets more challenging, allowing students to push themselves beyond their comfort zones.

With those challenges comes an amazing sense of accomplishment, and our leaders recognize and celebrate how far each student has come.

Terrific leaders like Annie facilitate a strong team dynamic in each group, and encourage the students to motivate and uplift each other.

Getting to Know My Students

forming strong
bonds

One of my favorite parts of Overland is the leadership and initiative that students can take. Whether it be taking orders and making each other pizzas, leading our challenge hike, or sharing the itinerary for the following day, our students were incredibly motivated to help the group and work towards a common goal. They taught me how to enjoy life and not let little things become overwhelming. No matter what happened, they were always optimistic and looking forward to the adventures of the following day.

Learning about Leadership

laughter, growth,
and fun

My advice, both for leaders and students, is to come into summer with an open-mind and ready for new challenges. You will meet amazing people and go to amazing places, and everyone around you, whether it be the Overland staff, your leaders, or your students, are ready to support you and help you have an unforgettable trip. Overland summers are full of laughter, growth, and fun, and I hope everyone has the opportunity to experience them!

ANNIE’S STORY

Leading By Example

Exploring New Parts of the World

Building lasting relationships

forming strong bonds

laughter, growth, and fun

More Leader Stories

Leading
By Example

Exploring New Parts
of the World

Building
lasting relationships

forming strong
bonds

laughter, growth,
and fun