What do they do with all of those skills?
This “Leadership Series” hopes to answer this question for seven Leadership alumni, one each week until the next Leadership Semester course begins on April 2nd.
Leadership Alumn #5: Joe Ewing
Leadership Course: Fall 2008
Hometown: Castle Rock, CO
University: Western State Colorado University
Currently: Recently hired as Outward Bound Costa Rica’s new Whitewater Coordinator, Joe has been very busy handling the organization of courses and staff when it comes to any whitewater adventures. He also prepares the students through talks about safety and explanations about what to expect when out in the rapids. This position proceeds from over one year of kayak and land instruction for Outward Bound Costa Rica and raft instruction for an Outward Bound Mexico course last fall.
Reasons Enrolled: Joe’s first encounter with Costa Rica was actually working on a finca (farm) here back in 2008. He had already known of Outward Bound Costa Rica because of its affiliation with Western State Colorado University which helped speed up his research when looking for something new and exciting in Costa Rica. He found the Leadership course and signed up immediately.
Future Aspirations: Joe has a dream to run all of the best whitewater rivers worldwide either as a rafting guide, a kayaker, or member of a rafting group. His next goal is to make it to Africa this year where he can run the famous White Nile in Uganda and Zambia’s Zambezi River (Africa’s fourth longest river).
Favorite Course Moment: Joe distinctly remembers entering Piedras Blancas for the first time. He loved seeing where his instructors were born, and what their lives were like growing up. He remembers witnessing their loving family dynamics and the peaceful atmosphere of the tiny remote village.
Quote: “Tuan-dot-com.” (Joe’s catch phrase, which comes from the Costa Rican slang word tuanis, meaning “cool.”)
Click to read about past profiled Leaders:
Leadership Alum #2, Amy Nicolson
Leadership Alum #3, Heidi Ruckriegle
Leadership Alum #4, Donna White
The Outward Bound Costa Rica Leadership Semester is meant to prepare students in such a way that they can use the skills they develop to use in a career and/or any leadership role. This 60-day experience consists of: earning nine internationally-recognized certifications and 12 school credits; learning how to surf, kayak, raft, rappel, camp, and scuba dive; and facing the challenges and responsibilities involved with any Outward Bound course.