Outdoor Program Takes Nine to Utah Over Spring Break
By Amy Khaing ’27
This spring break, Milton’s Outdoor Program took students far beyond the classroom into the vast landscapes of Zion and Bryce National Parks in Utah. Over eight days, seven students and two faculty members traveled across the three campsites in Zion, Bryce, and Nevada, hiking more than eight trails that ranged from beginner-friendly paths to strenuous climbs with over 5,000 feet of elevation. For many of the seven students and two faculty members who attended, the experience became a transformative lesson in community and self-discovery.
Students initially joined the trip for varying reasons. Some, like Nika Fernandez ’27, joined the trip because of the “lack of opportunities” to pursue outdoor activities as a “busy…Milton student.” Others, including Katie Rodman ’27, had never been camping before but came on this trip to “test out” new interests. Similarly, Lily Hayashi ’29 had also never camped before, nor been to the West Coast, which was why she signed up to try “new experiences [she] hadn’t had before.” For Jenika Avdiu ‘27, she had always wanted to go on a Milton trip “within [her] four years,” and the opportunity was “now or never.”
The trip posed challenges beyond comfort zones. Ellie O’Connor ‘29 admitted that “being away from family was a scary thought,” while for Rodman, “the biggest challenge was [her] sickness” and the regret she had from “missing a day of hiking.” Meanwhile, Hayashi noted struggles with the physical intensity of the trip, as students “hiked in really hot weather” for hours each day. As Fernandez puts it, since students “came in with different levels of familiarity,” it was tricky to “figure out ways for everyone to feel comfortable.” Yet despite these challenges, the difficulty became a shared experience that set the stage for growth as the trip progressed.
For instance, Outdoor Program Director Izzy Nakisher observed how students developed “less fear and more willingness to challenge” and gradually “took ownership” of their environment, and began contributing to “every little thing” from time management to cooking and cleaning. What initially began as a faculty-led effort became collective, a growth that Ms. Nakisher notes was “really awesome.” Similarly, the Math Department’s Mila Nazarali highlighted the physical “growth” that students demonstrated, from attempting “scary rappels” in canyons to hiking one of the most demanding trails. As students like Hayashi confirm, she walked away from the feeling “more capable physically and mentally” than she thought she was.
Beyond improved physical abilities, students reflected on increased mental growth. With limited connection due to isolated campgrounds, the minimalistic nature of hiking has instilled, in Fernandez’s words, “refreshing” changes within the group. Because students were “rarely on [their] phones,” Fernandez noted, they wereable to “connect more closely with [each other] on the trip.” Similarly, for Avdiu, this lifestyle, though “unexpected”, allowed her to live more “minimalistically” and become “less reliant on most things [she] thought were [necessities].” Rodman echoed this sentiment, commenting how she “enjoyed the downtime,” and “felt very free” just from connecting with people with “phone[s] turned off.”
The phone-free and nature-surrounded environment enabled students to self-reflect and build a community that would otherwise be difficult in a classroom setting. O’Connor described moments when she would “realize that [her] mind wasn’t anywhere,” not occupied by “school, homework, athletics, or clubs” but simply present. The realization of how “great it felt” became a “clear sign” for her to prioritize her mental health. Hayashi, too, reflected on how “quickly [she] usually tries to move through life and [the] stress that usually builds up.” For her, the trip taught her to enjoy the “simplicity” in life.
As Nakisher notes, one of the greatest powers of the outdoors lies in its ability for people “to be authentically yourself.” When people are “not trying to be anyone other than who they are,” Nazarali added, community forms more naturally. As O’Connor confirms, the “bridging between grades was spectacular,” and to her, the “initial strangers” had now indeed become “family.” Fernandez found herself both being “able to support other girls” while also “leaning on [them] when [she] needed”. The students seem to unanimously agree that the power of nature lies not only in its landscapes but in its ability to bring people together. As Nakisher summed, the outdoors allows people to “learn from those around you” and “appreciate [nature] for what it is,” and that, she asserted, “cannot be taught in a classroom.”