What are your next steps?

If someone had told me when I graduated college that I would be working in outdoor education only a month later, I would not have believed them. That being said, I would not have traded my time as an outdoor educator at the Dunes Learning Center for anything else. While I can pick out highlights from all my trail groups, there is one group of students that have left a lasting effect on me as an outdoor educator. 

In October of 2022, a group from McCutcheon High School came for our overnight DuneVersity program. These students were upperclassmen and we had great discussions about the ecosystems at the Dunes and conducted a small research project on trail. These activities were very beneficial but my favorite part was when we were walking and I would talk to my students. 

When listening to them, I heard so many different backstories, hobbies, and aspirations. I asked them, “What are your next steps after high school?” They replied, “I’m not sure.” Instantly I was transported back to myself at their age when I had the same response. It is a sentiment I hear all of the time. At the end of their three days, after they had presented their project, I had a final chance to say goodbye and say any lasting words. I wanted to say what I would have wanted to hear at their age: that it is okay to not know what is next. No matter what you do or where you end up, anyone can contribute to environmental science.

Jarrod Price

Naturalist Educator