By Waddy Stryker | November 12, 2026As Thanksgiving approaches and the holiday season begins, I’ve found myself thinking more about what it means to come together. This time of year often brings us around tables, kitchens and campfires, sharing meals and making memories with the people around us. It’s a time when we reflect on the relationships we’ve built and the importance of spending time with others.
At Elevate Youth, we’re getting ready for our outdoor cooking trips. We will first head to a cranberry bog where students will pick cranberries, then go to a camp to cook a meal on camping stoves, and end the day roasting s’mores over a fire. While the cooking is certainly something to look forward to, I’ve come to appreciate that these experiences are about so much more than the food. They’re about the bonding, the laughter and the teamwork. Thinking about these upcoming trips has brought me back to some of the students I’ve had the privilege of working with over the years, and the relationships I’ve watched develop between them.
One group in particular comes to mind: Dilan , Wilson, and Jonathan.
Wilson is a quieter student, but his personality shines through when he’s around friends. He’s kind, incredibly thoughtful, and has a particular awareness of the people around him. He has the ability to recognize when someone is having a difficult day and knows how to offer support through a kind word.
Jonathan shares some of that quieter nature. He’s funny and intelligent, and his sense of humor brings something special to the group.
Dilan, on the other hand, has a more outgoing personality once he gets comfortable with the people around him. He loves making jokes and finding ways to make an experience more fun for everyone.
Over time, I’ve watched these boys grow their friendship and become more comfortable with one another in an outdoor setting. Some of the moments that stand out most aren’t necessarily the big accomplishments, but the smaller interactions that reveal the kind of relationships they’re building.
I remember one particular rock-climbing trip. Rock climbing can be intimidating, especially for someone trying it for the first time. Even for those who are frequent outdoor enthusiasts, we all have activities that challenge us and push us outside our comfort zones. For Dilan, climbing was one of those activities.
He was nervous and having a difficult time getting comfortable with the experience. It would have been easy for him to step away or feel discouraged, but Wilson quietly stepped in. He reassured Dilan, encouraged him to keep trying, and made sure he still felt included, no matter how much climbing he managed to do.
It was a small moment, but one that has stuck with me. Wilson wasn’t focused on how high Dilan climbed or whether he climbed at all. He was focused on his friend and making sure he felt supported.
Another memory comes from a day spent exploring an island. Part of the fun was wandering around, looking for sea glass, shells, interesting rocks, and whatever other treasures we could find along the shoreline.
At some point, Wilson and Jonathan decided to trade one Croc each while exploring. Unfortunately, they wandered into an especially muddy area, and one disappeared into the “quicksand”. Despite everyone’s best efforts, it was never recovered.
What stands out to me isn’t the lost shoe, but what happened afterward. Nobody got upset or blamed anyone. Instead, everyone joined in looking for it. The group searched together, laughing and trying to find the missing shoe, but eventually had to accept that it wasn’t coming back. Luckily, there were other shoes available, and the day continued as if nothing happened.
It’s a funny memory, but it also says something about the relationships within that group. There was a sense of trust, patience, and understanding. They were comfortable enough with one another to navigate an unexpected situation without it becoming a problem.
These are some of the things I value most about outdoor education. The outdoors provides a unique space for young people to experience new things, work through challenges, and discover things about themselves and one another. It creates opportunities to practice empathy, build confidence, and learn how to support the people around us.
Sometimes those opportunities come through something challenging, like encouraging a friend up a rock wall. Other times, they come through something as simple as searching for a lost shoe in the mud.
Year after year, I get to watch students build trusting relationships, strengthen existing friendships, and form new connections. Those relationships don’t always develop through planned activities or structured lessons. Often, they happen organically, in the moments between activities, around a campfire, while preparing a meal, or while exploring somewhere new together.
As we head into the holiday season, I’m reminded that some of the most meaningful parts of coming together aren’t about what we’re eating or where we’re going. They’re about who we’re sharing those experiences with.
And that’s something I hope our students carry with them long after the campfire has gone out and the meal is finished.