The Adventure of Growth by Ella

The Adventure of Growth by Ella - May 2026 Scholarship Essay

My worries about leading a backpacking trip by myself crowded my mind and didn’t stop once we were on the trail. Not only was it raining, but it was nearly dark by the time we started setting up camp, which took a long time because the participants were still getting used to how to set things up. The camp stoves weren’t working, things got lost or stuck in trees, and we were all wet, tired, and hungry. It was chaos, but I tried to act with calm authority to keep people safe. That first day felt like a disaster, but I soon came to realize that my mind was in the wrong place. It was my job to keep people alive, but it was also my job to teach. I knew how rewarding it had felt to light a camp stove for the first time after failing so many times. I came to the conclusion that if I continued doing all the work myself, not only would I be more overwhelmed, but the participants wouldn’t get a chance at that success. As I learned to let others try and fail, and learn and succeed, it became possible for me to relax a little and even have some fun. The trip was long and arduous, but we all laughed and cried and learned together.