Climbing Kilimanjaro

College of Education Assistant Professor Dr. Geoffrey Thomas Summits Africa’s Highest Peak

by Laurel Owens

It’s not uncommon for people to compare struggles in life to climbing a mountain. For Dr. Geoffrey Thomas, that metaphor has never been so clear as it is when climbing a literal

During the 11-day journey to the summit and back, which only nine hikers of the eleven in his group completed, Thomas kept the advice of one of their guides at the forefront of his mind. He had said to look at the peak at the start of the journey, from the bottom of the mountain,

While most people think of the climb up as the hard part, Thomas learned the most valuable lesson on the way down. A blizzard struck, lowering visibility and making the terrain difficult to maneuver.

At the height of the storm, a Tanzanian guide named Goodluck held Thomas’s arm and didn’t let go for two miles.

Thomas is certain that he would have fallen many times among the slick mud and snow of that stretch had it not been for the support of his guide, saying, “We all need help. We all need assistance, no matter what.” For Thomas, the lesson here was that even if you’re capable of doing something on your own, it’s good to have help.

Almost immediately upon returning from his trip, Thomas began gathering his thoughts on the journey to share with his students. Thomas is eager to show future educational leaders the lessons he learned and teach them that leaders find inspiration in every challenge. Of course, Thomas was also eager to rest, joking that he might have to find a hobby he could do sitting down for a while.