On March 27, 12 Branson students will embark upon a three-day backpacking trip in Point Reyes, organized by junior class representative Hailey Sellers. 

Originally the expedition was restricted to juniors only, but Seller’s recently opened it to the whole school. Featuring more than 20 miles of hiking over three days, the trip will be chaperoned by three members of the Branson faculty: English teacher Madeline Lesser, science teacher Karl Schmidt and math teacher Drew Mathieson. The cost is only $50 per student, but equipment and financial aid are also both provided if needed.

However, the idea of a Branson backpacking trip first came to Sellers after being elected a class representative last spring, largely drawing from her fond experiences as a sophomore at Outward Bound.

“As class rep, the  main goal is always to bond the grade together. When I think about times that I was really able to bond with the people in my grade that I wouldn’t normally be able to, I immediately think of Outward Bound. It was only five days, but I got really close with my group,” Sellers said.

Sellers was largely inspired by her wealth of experience in the outdoors, a love which she has cultivated and been involved with since she was young.

“I really got into hiking and backpacking at this summer camp I go to in Traverse City, Michigan, called Hayo-Went-Ha. Third grade is the first year you can do it, but as you go up each year, the trips get longer and harder,” said Sellers.

After coming up with the idea to do a backpacking trip as a class, Sellers first approached Peter Zdrojewski, science teacher and director of outdoor and global education.

“I was excited, because she was in my hiking crew on Outward Bound so I got to know her well,” Zdrojewski said. “I knew how important and powerful that trip was to her, and she was really great on the trip. I also knew that she wanted to do more. She’s an athletic, outgoing person who loves nature. I also think she is the kind of person who has the work ethic to get things done. It was just about making sure that she was checking all the boxes and doing things well.”

While a two-night trip may seem like a simple task, Zdrojewski explained that it actually required a large amount of planning and logistics from both him and Sellers.

“[I had to make]sure she had the campsite reserved, [have] the right number of students, [ensure] you had chaperones that were trained — specifically Karl Schmidt, who is a trained wilderness first responder — and then also making sure she knew where she could get financial support to make it more affordable for students,” Zdrojewski said.

Sellers and Zdrojewski also both highlighted their goal of fostering relationships during the trip.

“I think what we do really well at Branson is relationships, and the more that we can expand how we develop those relationships with kids, in the classroom, on the field, on the stage and out in the world, it becomes more powerful for everyone involved.” Zdrojewski said.

Zdrojewski also mentioned the possibility of more of these small-scale trips in the future.

“Typically, it’s always been bigger trips, whether it’s a five-day Outward Bound or a two-week international trip. If you look to Marin Academy, they’ve been doing what they call their ‘outings program’ for years, which includes things a lot more like a two-night backpacking trip, so kids at MA have a lot more opportunities for these shorter programs,” Zdrojewski said. “If there is a desire and demand for more of that at Branson,  I think that would be a great thing to do.”