Woodwell Leadership Award: Michael Mounsey ’26
Each year at Avon Old Farms, one rising junior is offered the opportunity to attend the Outward Bound program of his choice through the Woodwell Leadership Award. The Award was created by Al O’Connor ’75, in memory of his classmate and friend Richard H. “Woody” Woodwell ’75, who lost his life in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The award recipient is chosen through an essay contest meant to determine which student best demonstrates the potential for community service and leadership. The recipient then receives the funding to attend an Outward Bound program of their choice. Outward Bound programs are outdoor education retreats that promote personal growth, leadership capabilities, and environmental appreciation.
This past year’s winner, Michael Mounsey ’26, says he personally would’ve bet that one of his close friends was going to win, and was not expecting to hear his name when it was announced during Morning Meeting. “I was really shocked, but also excited. I didn’t want to seem too excited though, because a lot of the other entries were my friends, and they had some really good essays.” Michael’s essay revolved around the unique, brotherly interactions that take place at Avon and ways any student can make an impact on campus.
Next, Michael had to select which Outward Bound trip he would participate in during the summer. He ultimately decided on a 10-day canoeing and backpacking excursion near Voyageurs National Park, located in the northern tip of Minnesota.
An anxious mix of excitement and nervousness brewed in Michael as he boarded a plane alone in Boston on July 5th. “That was the last time I saw or talked to my parents for the next 10 days. When I got on the connecting flight to Duluth, I thought, ‘There’s no going back now.’”
After a series of introductory lessons in canoeing, portaging, camp craft, cooking over a fire, navigation, and other skills that would be required on the trip, Michael and his group set off for their first campsite. The next morning, they paddled 21 miles through the extremely remote waterways of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeast Minnesota. One portion brought them through the burned path of the 2011 Pagami Creek Fire, the largest naturally occurring fire the state has seen this century. “That was a very long day,” Michael says. “It was a lot of paddling and homesickness.”
Things didn’t get easier from there. On the fifth day, a severe thunderstorm forced the group into lightning strike prevention procedures for almost the entire night. Michael and his companions each picked a small tree and spent the night huddled underneath, counting the seconds between thunder boom and lightning strike. “That was definitely the toughest moment, but it was also a lot of fun. You feel a lot of adrenaline from it.”
The next night was scheduled as the “solo” night. This is usually a difficult night in itself, with participants isolated in a remote area of wilderness for an entire night. Unfortunately, it stormed again that night. Between the storm and nearby sounds of what Michael believed to be a moose, he didn’t get much sleep.
Rather than bow out as some participants do, Michael used the difficult endeavor as a learning experience. “That was one of the few moments on that trip where I just wanted to be anywhere else. It really made me realize that no matter how long and difficult a day can feel, it still comes to an end. What can you take away from the experience and learn from it.”
As the trip went on, the responsibilities gradually shifted from the two accompanying adult instructors to the adolescent members of the expedition. “The last few days, our guides stayed a few miles behind us. We ended up kind of building our own little democracy where everyone had their role.” Michael had been elected as one of the two leaders, which he says helped in a few different ways. “I was really homesick the whole time, but it kind of helped being the leader. I had to be so busy it kept me from thinking about it too much.” He added that this experience has already helped him be an effective leader at Avon. “That homesickness piece, experiencing that so recently, has already helped me comfort freshmen and help them deal with living away from home.”
Throughout the 10 days, Michael had to navigate his canoe for miles at a time. When there were areas too shallow or otherwise difficult to pass through, the group would paddle to shore and then carry their canoes as they hiked through the thick forest, sometimes for multiple miles. At times, even that route became difficult to traverse, so the team had to bushwack in some places and even bust down beaver dams in others. The final day involved paddling through a lot of intense rapids. Several canoes ended up tipping over. “Ours would’ve tipped, but a bag shifted in just the right way,” Michael explains. “We got a little lucky there.”
That final day also involved stopping for a rock-climbing expedition and a ropes course once back at the Outward Bound home base. “The next morning was the first time I got to talk to my parents. I just texted them, ‘I’m alive.’”
Of course, one of the main purposes of the Outward Bound program and Avon’s Woodwell Leadership Award is to teach leadership skills. It’s why Michael entered an essay in the first place. “I thought, not only could it be a great experience, but it would better position me for roles at Avon, like being a monitor.” He says one thing he learned is that if you are going to tell someone to do something, you should always be ready and willing to do it alongside them.
Despite all the challenges faced throughout, Michael says he really enjoyed his experience, and would recommend it to any sophomores thinking about submitting an essay for the next Woodwell Award. “Put yourself out there,” he says. “You won’t regret it.”