As a high school student, I went from the South Side of Chicago to Olympic National Park to do conservation work in the wilderness. The experience of being given adult responsibilities and doing hard physical labor under difficult conditions (it rained constantly) with teenagers from all over the U.S. changed my life. I subsequently served two years in the Peace Corps, chose career paths in education and conservation, and eventually worked as an administrator for this non-profit. SCA's fifty-five year history puts it in the top rank of outdoor programs for high school and college students.