Giselle San Roman graduated from ARC’s Sequoia & Kings Canyon summer course in 2017. She went backpacking for the first time—hiking among the world’s largest trees and spending 15 nights under the stars. With her teammates, she learned to cross streams, navigate using a topographical map, and cook burritos in the backcountry. The Sequoia & Kings Canyon site was one of three ARC courses running concurrently in the summer of 2017, and ARC’s newest location.
Giselle discovered ARC when Jesus Alejandre, a 2012 graduate of the Yosemite course and ARC’s Merced County Outreach Coordinator, entered her English class at Dos Palos High School and “talked about building yourself through challenges.” While in her class, Jesus invited students to apply for a retreat and experience a weekend of outdoor adventure and writing. Weekend trips are an introductory glimpse into a multi-week ARC summer experience. This school year, ARC is offering 18 weekend excursions to students like Giselle.
After a weekend kayaking at the UC-Davis Bodega Marine Reserve in the fall of 2016, Giselle decided to apply for the summer course because she wanted “to take more chances.” She said, “I haven’t taken all the risks that I’ve wanted.” She also expressed in her metaphorical poem “Glacial Erratic” written during the summer course that, prior to coming to ARC, she felt “tightly tied and knotted.” She wanted to let go of the negativity and doubts that were holding her back. She described feelings of loneliness and not knowing who to turn to for help.
While on the summer course, Giselle was part of a very tight-knit group of ten students. They supported one another on 1000-foot climbs while carrying heavy backpacks. They shared with one another their struggles at home and in school. They workshopped their poetry together, discussing their deepest hopes, fears, and dreams. Giselle said the experience was “exhilarating”. She wrote near the end of the course, “Coming to ARC has helped me realize many things about learning to trust people, while also being independent. I’ve learned that it’s okay to share some of the weight off of my shoulders.”
Since the summer course, Giselle has been excelling in school and in her community. She has been learning AP Biology through an independent study (the school doesn’t offer the course, but she purchased the book and got administrative support to take on the class herself). She also recently visited the State Capitol in Sacramento and advocated for affordable, healthy drinking water for Dos Palos. Giselle writes in her poem, “I am ready to make a difference in the world…to manifest my dreams.” ARC is very confident that she will do just that!
To read Giselle‘s poem, you can download the 2017 ARC Memory Book.