At the end of July, Class XLIV continued the long-standing ALF tradition of Fellows Program participants spending a week at beautiful Gold Lake and Sierra Buttes for the Wilderness Experience. While there, the Fellows deepened relationships with themselves, each other, and their classmates through physical, mental, and personal exercises, including rock climbing, hiking, setting up base camp, and an overnight solo. With the encouragement of their classmates and guidance from the expert wilderness leaders, many in the group exceeded their expectations and perceived limitations within themselves.
The Fellows explored how power operates in their personal journeys, professional sectors, cross-sector, multicultural communities, and society through reflection, story sharing, and dialogue. The ‘off the grid’ experience during the unstructured time off was particularly impactful, fostering personal reflection and connections in a way that is unique to the Wilderness Experience.
After the weeklong Wilderness Experience, as we transitioned back to “real life,” we invited the Fellows to reflect on this experience as they recount the remarkable opportunity to share joy, practice care, and navigate differences together.
Akemi Flynn has over 25 years of experience working for multicultural community building and equity in Silicon Valley. Currently, she is the Chief Impact Officer for ALF Silicon Valley and an ALF Insights faculty member. Akemi is an ALF Senior Fellows with Class XXVII.
