As a child, I was always fascinated with Subaru commercials. I would sit on our living room couch and envision myself driving to beautiful and remote destinations to scale rock walls or hike to the top of mountains, just as the actors in the commercials did. 

As I grew older, however, I began to lose sight of my dream — I noticed that none of the people I watched on the screen looked like me or shared my background. My parents could never understand why I was interested in putting myself through physical hardship and discomfort when they worked so hard to provide a bed and a roof over my head. It wasn’t until college that I would have the opportunity to explore my love for nature and develop the skills necessary to share this passion with others.

The First-Year Outdoor Program, or FOP, is Harvard’s largest and oldest pre-orientation program. In 2023, over 300 participants explored the Native Northeast's finest forests, mountains, and lakes. But FOP is not just an outdoors trip; it is an opportunity to build a sense of community, reflect on your hopes for college, and enter with both confidence and a network of close friends. The trips are designed for all levels of experience and fitness and are led by trained and experienced students.

In November of my junior year, I received an email advertising the FOP Leader Training Program in the Spring. I was hesitant about submitting an application; I wasn’t sure I would be accepted given I never participated in FOP as a pre-frosh and would only be able to lead for one year. Although I had pursued outdoor opportunities through the Harvard Mountaineering Club and the Harvard Outing Club and developed a comfort with the outdoors,  I had not developed the necessary technical skills to lead an excursion. Nonetheless, I submitted my application and was ecstatic to receive my acceptance!  I was incredibly excited to join FOP’s amazing community and learn how to navigate the wilderness!

The FOP leader training is no joke — however, it is incredibly accessible to all regardless of previous experience. At times, it felt like I was consuming information through a fire extinguisher; I was unsure how I would ever be able to remember how to set up the whisper-light stove, the knots needed to set up a bear bag and a tarp, or — perhaps most importantly — the FOP dance. Through the gaggles, workshops, skillz days, and Wilderness First Aid Training, I felt confident in my interpersonal and technical skills. The ultimate test, however, came during the Training Trip (TT) in May.

The TT is a week-long trip composed of two former FOP leaders and a group of FOP-Leader Trainees. There are three types of trips that trainees can indicate a preference for: (1) Site-based trips — the group is based at one camp-site and does day-hikes in the surrounding trips, (2) Backpacking trips — everyday the group must hike to a new camp-site, and (3) Switch-trips, a blend of a back-packing and a canoeing-based trip. I was on a backpacking trip through the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire. Each day of the trip, a different pair of Trainees would become the FOP leaders for the day and had the opportunity to reinforce the leadership, interpersonal, and technical skills we had learned throughout the semester! I absolutely loved my TT, and it only served to increase my confidence and competence in the outdoors. The TT also provided a fantastic opportunity to get to know the other trainees well — sometimes TOO well in the way only a week-long outdoor rugged experience can :)

In late August, all of the FOP-trainees, now new leaders, and returning FOP leaders convene in to prepare for the upcoming trips and review the necessary skills. It was here I met my co-leader Adri; for the next few days, we prepared route plans, obtained gear, and most importantly, prepared our call-down skit, the performance we would put on in front of the hundreds of Foppers (the pre-frosh) to welcome our specific group. Our group, Trip 210, was composed of 10 students. We were based at a campsite in Mount Mansfield, the highest peak in Vermont, for six days on a site-based trip. Half of our days we spent at the campsite, cooking delicious food, playing games, and getting to know one another. The other half, we hiked the surrounding peaks and took a day trip into Burlington! By the end of the trip, our group had shared personal stories, secrets, quirks, and happy tears. I was incredibly proud of how Trip 210 was able to build community; it seemed Adri and I had succeeded in our goal in dispelling the anxieties of our Foppers and creating a space where they could feel comfortable being themselves as they began their Harvard journey.

FOP has played a transformative role in my Harvard experience. Since then, I have used the skills and confidence I have developed in the outdoors to lead three more outdoor trips. The FOP community is composed of amazing individuals who have become friends. If you are considering signing up for the FOP pre-orientation program or becoming a FOP leader (applications are out now and close in late December!), do it and feel free to reach out if you have any questions!