We Are All Changemakers; Knowingly or Unknowingly, the Effects of Our Actions Ripple out, Changing the World in Large and Small Ways Each Day. Written by AXL CAP Instructor Harmony Esqueda.
Every year since 2013 at the Base Camp Bash, Cottonwood Institute has recognized students from our Community Adventure Program (CAP) classes who demonstrate leadership, have inspired their classmates, and whose actions will create ripples of positive change.
Rob Guthrie honored (and surprised) Mekhi and Daniel with the 2025 Lauren Guthrie Legacy Scholarship, which provides funding for two Ripple Effect Award winners to attend a week-long Avid4 Adventure expedition over the summer. To honor Lauren’s memory, The Lauren Guthrie Make A Difference Fund has supported getting students outdoors and growing as leaders, carrying on Lauren’s legacy of inspiring youth through adventure education.
In July, Mekhi joined a group of youth on an Avid4 Adventure trip of a lifetime. They spent a warm summer week exploring, learning, and playing in the beautiful Colorado foothills and mountains. Mekhi had this to say about the program:
“We did many things on our camping trip, including mountain biking, rock climbing, scrambling, bouldering, white water rafting, and stand up paddle boarding. Those were all so fun but my favorite would have to be white water rafting. The reason why is it was just cool and I had a very good first time.”
Even though it was Mekhi’s first time trying many of these outdoor activities, he didn’t consider any of them to be too challenging, except for mountain biking. He found uphills to be arduous and scary, but going downhill was a breeze. He learned many things on this trip, but one thing that he feels he will carry with him for the rest of his life is knowing how to do simple things in the outdoors, such as cooking, and how to be resourceful when you don’t have all the convenient tools of everyday life in the city.
Mekhi’s favorite memory was hard to pick because there were so many, but one moment that really stuck with him was the last night of the trip with his newfound friends surrounding the campfire, sharing memories from the week, and enjoying a night of laughter. Knowing it was the last time they would all see each other, they made the most of the evening with some fun night games and activities.
Thank you to Rob Guthrie and the Lauren Guthrie Make A Difference Fund for making this expedition possible for youth from our Cottonwood programs to continue building their outdoor skills and a life full of adventure.
