NAVIGATING RAPIDS + CIVILIAN LIFE Student veteran finds passion and purpose with the Adventure Program Getting involved with the Adventure Program was a transformative experience for Andres Garcia, Marine Corps veteran, senior Geospatial Information Science major, and Adventure Trip Leader, because it’s where he found his passion for whitewater kayaking and a community of other student veterans. He appreciates the sport for the adrenaline rush, something veterans sometimes seek in the transition back to civilian life, and its ability to connect people who wouldn’t have otherwise met. He joined a Facebook group to meet up with other local kayakers and can now be found out on local rivers several mornings a week all year long sometimes with his dog in tow.
Garcia has not only adopted paddling as part of his own wellness practice, but he excels as a teacher of the sport for others in the veteran community, helping them find connection and healing in the outdoors.
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