WLEE offers students outdoor adventures

MHCC is one of two hosts to the Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education (WLEE) program, and the only program at the collegiate level in the Northwest that is tied to the Wilderness Education Association (WEA).

Students interested in the program would receive a varied education in outdoor and wilderness aspects and scenarios. According to their curriculum page on the MHCC website, completion of the program results in certification in: CPR/First Aid, Wilderness First Responder, Leave No Trace Master Educator, Swift Water Rescue technician, Challenge Course facilitator and a WEA stewardship and Certified Outdoor Leader.

Leave No Trace is a program that seeks to minimize the impact of humans on Mother Nature by being conscientious of the outdoors and striving to leave an area as it was found.

“I’ve always had a love for the outdoors. I truly believe that the WLEE skills apply to the whole world,” said Jake Dohm, a 23-year-old first-year WLEE student from Wisconsin.

Dohm came to Oregon from Wisconsin seeking outdoor thrills, but came upon the WLEE program instead and found a way to do the things he loves outdoors, while getting a degree for it.

The students will be able to get jobs as outdoor guides after their first year of the program is completed. Some will go straight into wilderness recreation management while others will go on to complete their bachelor’s degree at schools like Western Washington or Penn State, according to Dohm.

“Bryan (Anaclerio, the instructor for the program) is trying to set it (bachelor program) up at Chico State,” he added.

Some of the classes taken for the program include Wilderness Survival, River Kayaking, Backpacking and Camp Management, Alpine Rescue and Avalanche Training.

Students spend 32 days in the field during what is called an immersion term to hone their skills and put them to the test. These include 12-day trips that focus on backcountry snow camping, rock climbing and white-water rafting.

“It’s (the immersion trips) where we get a lot of our certification. It’s also a lot of time out in the woods, which is a good place to be,” said Dohm about the trips.

This level of training and education is necessary for a career in the outdoor adventure or recreation industry, according to the webpage.

“I look forward to class everyday. I used to be the kind of person who hated coming to class, but now I love it,” said Dohm.

“As opposed to trying to sell kids on it, I’d tell them about my life and how I’ve been searching for this for a long time, to get the right key and now I’m unlocking the door to a lot of opportunities for me,” he added.