Day 42

"The sun is shining. The birds are singing. It's a great day to be alive."  - Doc Lupton

I had heard of Doc Lupton before. After all, he was the founder of ECOEE. If it hadn't been for him, none of us would be here. This expedition wouldn't exist. And the unique opportunities it offers in the areas of outdoor living, leadership development and professional networking would cease to exist as well.

But today, we met the man behind the legend. Dr. Frank Lupton, affectionately referred to as Doc, is what our professor would call a person of character. His humble nature, positive attitude and sincere spirit were obvious upon our first encounter.

Sitting together before the fundraising event at Horn Field, we were able to talk to Doc, ask him questions, hear his stories and dig into his wealth of wisdom. He shared stories from ECOEEs past. He told us about Paul Petzoldt  and the origin of the ECOEE program. He was engaging to listen to and simply a joy to be with.

He told us about how ECOEE struggled to find support within the department, especially in the early years. In order to ensure the future of the program, a program in whose mission he firmly believed, Doc applied to become Department Chair, giving up his opportunity to lead the program in the process. For me, this story drove home just how lucky I am to be here and how hard people - Doc Lupton, Paul Petzoldt, Mike McGowan, Jeff Tindall - have worked to continue, improve, promote and grow this one-of-a-kind experience. An experience that has touched generations of students. I am blessed to be a part of this legacy.

Doc Lupton left us with many wise words, reminding us that "the shortest distance between people is a smile" and that "no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care." In short, leadership is about relationships. These simple, yet profound thoughts are ones I will remember as I embark on our adventures in the next 3 months and far beyond. Thank you, Doc Lupton

Jillian Ross