Chris Li on Serving as a Role Model
What was your first Outdoor Outreach volunteer outing?
Mountain biking with O’Farrell High School in January of 2020–we had a blast biking around Imperial Beach.
Why did you choose to volunteer with Outdoor Outreach?
Outdoor Outreach has allowed me to have a positive effect on my community by serving as a role model in a constructive and pragmatic way.
Tell us about a personal interaction you’ve had with an OO participant. What did you personally learn?
On an overnight camping trip in Mission Trails, we conducted a leadership exercise to categorize what type of leader we were. One participant categorized himself as a spontaneous motivator while I was an analyst. I came to learn a lot about him and how his football experience defined how he made leadership decisions. This activity allowed me to see how personal hobbies can affect the way we act as leaders.
What is your favorite outdoor activity to do in your own time?
Rock climbing and hiking in National and State Parks.
What do you love most about volunteering with Outdoor Outreach?
The people you meet! All of the people who volunteer or work at OO are amazing individuals who all have similar goals to help others. I also learn something new from the participants on every trip I go on.
I’m passionate about Outdoor Outreach because…
Not everyone is fortunate enough to have the resources and time to explore the outdoors, but Outdoor Outreach provides that opportunity to those who need it!
Describe the feeling of seeing a participant discover what they’re capable of…
Definitely gratifying and rewarding! Everybody’s got potential to be the best version of themselves, they just need the right atmosphere to unlock that potential.