Growing up I was overweight, and not in the cute little chubby kid way, I was constantly looked down on and I knew how others saw me compared to their selves. despite my appearance my father spent every free second he could get to take me outside with him, wed be on any rock we could find and wed put our feet in any running stream. While I always knew how others saw me, I knew that there was something about being outside, I wanted to feel forever. In 6th grade I went to Outdoor Lab at MT Windy Peak, the week I spent up there was something ill forever cherish. not only was the learning so fun it drove me to my current degree in adventure education, but also how every single member of the staff saw me the same as the kids who never could, I was just another little kid who was sleeping in the cabin and going to classes on the trail. the people who taught me there and the girls I met in the classes are still memories I think of often. remembering the kindness that was given when I least expected to be welcome changed how I saw the outdoor world and my place in it. I had finally felt comfortable in the environment I had longed for. the impact was so amazing I went on to volunteer for 3 years in high school as a staff member, which only furthered my love for the programs and the impact that it makes, along with this after spending years losing the weight that stopped me from originally setting my heart on the field I find myself working daily with the mindset of inclusivity simple because id hate for someone to miss out on the wonders of outdoor recreation and learning simply because they don't fit the mold of person to be there. I think the major lesson that I learned in my time interacting and being within this program is that there is no specific person that matches, man or women, no matter body weight, personal life, or anything like that the only things that matter are your choices, how are you helping the team, how are you working to make a change, what are you working towards? will it help everyone? all of these things matter and none of them have a single thing to do with looks. When you realize the only things needed are skills, personal traits, and ambition it makes it easy for everyone to have an equally beneficial experience rather than prioritizing how they are perceived or being treated, I find that when I work with this mind set of skills and traits rather than physical appearances it creates areas of growth and strength in everyone equally and makes it where all kinds of people are given a space to enjoy the outdoors.