Cindy recently gave the commencement address at her alma mater, Shippensburg University, which you can read below. I love her theme: "Hike your own hike," a metaphor not just for hikers on the Appalachian Trail, nor simply for brand-new college grads, but for any of us, at any stage of life. Cindy has a thorough understanding of how conservation works best – when private organizations and governments work together to preserve nature. This knowledge and experience, paired with her deep love for Pennsylvania's wild places, are already helping her lead PennFuture to new and exciting heights.
I've always sought to hike my own hike, but I'm also delighted to part of Cindy Dunn's hike at PennFuture to preserve and improve our beloved Commonwealth.
-- Joy Bergey, federal policy director, PennFuture
"It is
gratifying to be here and to be part of this special event, signifying for each
of you a major milestone in your life. Frankly, 32
years ago, when I was in your shoes, or
under your caps as it were, I could have scarcely imagined myself on this side
of the podium.
I had a
wonderful experience here at Shippensburg as a grad student. I was
serious about learning, and the
academics were as rigorous then as they are now. I deeply immersed myself in the work of being
a student, and later a grad student and grad assistant. But I was equally
serious about enjoying the great out-of-doors in the beautiful area surrounding
this campus. In the fall, I’d drive
north to watch the hawk migration on the Kittatinny ridge (known locally as first
mountain). I’d go fishing in the nearby spring-fed
streams, spelunking in the caves, and for bike rides out of town into the
surrounding farmland of the Cumberland Valley, always with a ridge in the
distant background.
My best
memories at Ship were the classes that combined outdoor research and
learning, such as botany, aquatic biology, and mammology. Looking
back, I remember those adventures into the nearby mountains and streams more
than I do the classrooms. The professors
here encouraged learning, but also passion for nature. And on one of the many botany field trips to
South Mountain, I discovered that the
Appalachian Trail (known as the AT), passes less than ten miles from Shippensburg. So, I spent
occasional afternoons or weekends hiking on the nearby AT, and have continued
to do so since.
Shippensburg is very close to the mid-point of the trail’s 2,000-plus mile journey from Maine to Georgia. I have not completed the whole trail, so I am not one of the respected through-hikers, also called 2000-milers, who have done the trip from end to end. My husband, Craig, is a 2,000-miler, and volunteers to maintain a 17-mile section of the trail here in the Cumberland Valley. Like him, thousands of volunteers along the length of the trail pick up a shovel and clippers to maintain their section.
Shippensburg is very close to the mid-point of the trail’s 2,000-plus mile journey from Maine to Georgia. I have not completed the whole trail, so I am not one of the respected through-hikers, also called 2000-milers, who have done the trip from end to end. My husband, Craig, is a 2,000-miler, and volunteers to maintain a 17-mile section of the trail here in the Cumberland Valley. Like him, thousands of volunteers along the length of the trail pick up a shovel and clippers to maintain their section.
If you were
to contemplate hiking the entire Appalachian Trail, you would quickly learn that
there is a standard formula for success in completing the hike in one season.
In fact, the vast majority of through-hikers do it this very specific way. They begin their hike at Springer Mountain, Georgia
in March, then hike north through Pennsylvania by June, then continue northbound
to Maine. Hikers are racing the clock
because it is necessary to climb Mount Katahdin at the northern terminus before
the end of September, when there’s a growing risk that snow and ice will render
the mountain impassable. These hikers
are called northbounders.
Comparing this to “real life,” you might say
the northbound route is the equivalent
of the old classic formula for career success – graduate from high school, go straight
to college, get an undergrad degree, get a master’s degree, land a good job, and stay
there to build up a retirement. But this
isn’t the best route for everyone.
There is a saying
among the hikers on the Appalachian Trail that goes, “Hike your own hike." And like most things today, it has a text
acronym: HYOH. “Hike Your Own Hike” essentially means that
you should choose your own journey and let others choose theirs. Many hikers
find the need or desire to veer off from the basic success formula for
hiking the trail. HYOH means you should choose the journey that makes sense for
you – fast or slow, lots of gear or very
little, and whether to go northbound or southbound, or in
sections over the course of many years. There are endless possibilities. HYOH means to
choose the journey based on YOUR goals and your needs and abilities. Many of you here tonight are hiking your own
hike.
Along the
length of the Appalachian Trail there are many interesting side trails, called
blue-blaze trails. Many hikers speeding northbound skip them because they slow the hike and take
extra time. But for other hikers, they
add enrichment and offer unique experiences and views.
It is always
difficult in life to strike a balance between the discipline of reaching your
goals, and enriching and broadening your experience. Your learning experience at Shippensburg has
shown you how you can reach your goals, while at the same time expanding your
horizons and enriching your life. I hope you took some blue-blaze trails while
you were here at Ship. I know I did.
However you
choose to hike your hike, there are things that will enrich and support you and
things that will drain and divert you. This is true of any journey, and when
you are in the middle of such a diversion, don’t lose sight of your goal, even
if there are weeks, months or years when you cannot make satisfying progress.
A note about
gear: On the Appalachian trail, when the only material goods you have are limited
to boots and the contents of your back pack, these few possessions become the equivalent of
houses, cars and other material goods in the non-trail life. Sitting around the shelters and campfires of
the AT, gear, food, and possessions are often the focus of attention, with
heated discussions on the best boots and the best backpacks, in much the same
way people talk about cars, houses, and other items. But looking back
years after a long hike, or a long life, how important will these material
items be? How much do they enrich your
hike or your life? What will you remember when you look back?
Along with
the magnificent vistas, wonders of nature, and triumph over physical
challenges, many 2,000-milers report that their fondest memories are the
instances of “trail magic” they experienced. Trail magic, defined as an
unexpected act of kindness, is a quintessential part of the Appalachian Trail
experience. Trail magic can happen when fellow
hikers share meager possessions or a complete stranger in a local community
offers assistance.
Your trail
will lead you into some valleys. Some deep valleys. Walk through them with the resolve and
determination that will take you through to the next peak. Never doubt that as
long as your feet are moving, the trail will change. For many of you here tonight, the diploma in
your hand is the key to your new journey. You graduates here tonight are hiking your own hike. That’s why you chose to seek an advanced
degree. You know the value of learning,
you climbed the mountain of effort, and understand that the degree not only
gives you needed knowledge and skills, but a broader new perspective.
Always know who
you are and where you are on the trail of your life. Live in the place and in
the moment that you are in. Be a person
who creates trail magic. Enjoy the views from the mountain tops of your life.
Your
graduation is one such mountain top. Take the time to be in the moment of this
milestone in your life. Others will
congratulate you. Be sure to
congratulate yourself.
As you leave
Shippensburg University tonight, remember to hike your own hike. The lessons
you have learned here have prepared you for more than a great career. They have prepared you for great journey
through life."
-- Cindy Adams Dunn,
Commencement address at Shippensburg University, December 13, 2013
