Since sophomore year, I have been an active Outdoor Leadership "OL" participant. OL is a rigorous extracurricular consisting of almost daily afterschool "practices" and three intense backcountry trips per school year. During the spring season of junior year I was selected to be an OL student leader. The objective of an OL leader is simple: to provide a safe and transformative experience for participants. On a daily basis, responsibilites include instilling and facilitating the growth of leadership and interpersonal skills, as well as teaching "hard skills" such as fire building, shelter construction, and first aid. Before and during trips, leaders are responsible for schedule, route, and meal planning. In the backcountry, leaders guide small groups of participants, monitoring individuals emotional and physical wellbeing, and working again to foster leadership, interpersonal, and "hard skills", this time in a much less forgiving environment.