Many of us set goals for personal achievements; others transcend on an idea and do it for a noble cause. Christopher Mullen has done this. He was able to combine two of his passions, hiking and helping his community. Mullen is the resident director of Ramsey hall and also an outdoor enthusiast. Last September Mullen joined other extreme sports lovers near Seattle, Washington to hike on one of the highest mountains in the United States, Mount Rainer. This time they were not only hiking for personal satisfaction and for recognition, but simultaneously they were hiking the cold and rough terrains of Mount Rainer for a special reason. That special reason is an at-risk urban teen who will have the opportunity, thanks to people like Mullen, to be provided with a mentor.
Big City Mountaineers is a non-profit organization which focuses on helping at-risk urban teenagers. BCM mission is to provide urban teenage youth in need of positive adult mentoring by providing a challenging and safe wilderness experience led by adult volunteer guides. It is also the parent organization of Summit for Someone, which is the program in which Mullen participated last September.
Summit for Someone is a fundraising program implemented to benefit Big City Mountaineers. Each participant is asked to raise $4,000 to participate in this event. There are about 20 of these trips per year, all of them include an outdoor sport. The money raised is used for a camp in which teenagers at-risk will have the opportunity to have a qualified adult volunteer mentor.
Through persistence and arduous work, Mullen was able to raise $4,000 in order to participate in the sport that he loves while at the same time helping such a wonderful organization. As the RD of Ramsey Hall, he is glad that his residents were able to raise about $1,000 by selling hot dogs, soft drinks and snacks. In addition his family and friends were very supportive as well. He describes this experience as rewarding and motivational. Most importantly, he is glad to know that he was able to make a difference for someone else.
Mullen grew up in Northeast Philadelphia and always had the interest to help his community. He believes that his main interest in helping came from growing up in an area which needed assistance and attention.
Surprisingly, he found out about this program online while vacationing along the New Jersey beaches. He was on the beach when he discovered this program; he set the goal of raising $4,000 and accomplished it. Maybe Mullen is not changing the world, but he was able to help at least one teenager so that he/she is guided in the right direction.
Mullen was able to reach the top of the mountain and proved that all those hours at the gym had paid off; in addition he proves to us that a strong will is sufficient to accomplish goals. Along the way he encountered many obstacles, but these were overcome by his persistence and good will. He was not only hiking for himself, but also for a special person and cause.
Although Mullen is a busy dad and husband, he was able to take six days of his busy life to participate in this great journey to Mount Rainer. His goal is that Summit for Someone continues to grow around this region so that more and more teenagers can have the opportunity to have a mentor and have a positive influence so that they can stay away from trouble and be positive contributors to society.
For more information please visit the following web pages: www.SummitForSomeone.org www.BigCityMountaineers.org
Alejandro Carrillo is a fifth-year student majoring in political science with a minor in philosophy. He can be reached at AC59226@wcuap.edu.