DANFORTH, Maine — Alan Emery fell in love with the outdoors, and that’s what kept him in high school, he said.
The only one among his seven siblings and cousins to graduate from high school, Emery, 18, said the early morning outdoor ed program is what kept him in school.
“Outdoor ed was 8-9:30 a.m., and it was the only class I could enjoy. Outdoor ed was hands on for the most part and that was the main reason I liked the class,” Emery said.
The East Grand Outdoor Program was one of the first in the state, getting its start more than 20 years ago, said Dave Conley, owner of Canoe the Wild, who has worked closely with Emery and the East Grand program since its beginning.
Research shows that outdoor education programs lead to improved academics, fewer discipline problems and happier students, said Korah Soll, founding director of the Rural Aspirations Project, who has been working with East Grand School for several years.
For senior class vice president Emery, activities like harvesting and butchering a moose, camping overnight along the Allagash, taking on white water challenges, canoeing lakes, skiing, fishing, camping and open fire cooking built confidence and taught him lifelong skills, he said.
“Alan came into the outdoor education class as a freshman with little confidence, withdrawn and would barely speak a word with anyone,” Conley said. “It’s been rewarding seeing the personal growth that has taken place in Alan over the years as he engaged in the program.”
Conley said that as Emery acquired more outdoor skills he took on leadership roles and was an effective student leader.
The whole idea of the East Grand program is to allow kids repeated exposure in the outdoors to feel comfortable and build self-esteem, he said.
They are learning through practice that if they work hard at something they can achieve their goals. Additionally, students must rely on each other and learn how to work through difficult situations, often building leadership skills, said Tammi Matula, who co-leads the program with Conley.
In 2018, Emery asked his Mom if he could move from New Hampshire to live with his grandmother and great aunt in Wytopitlock.
He probably wouldn’t have graduated if he hadn’t moved up here, said his mother Desiree Smith.
“As hard as it was, I knew it was a good choice because this is an amazing place and this community is one of the best I’ve ever seen,” she said. “The outdoor program was absolutely a god send. I think Dave has played a huge part in the man that Alan has become.”
Emery explained that his Dad dropped out of high school in the eighth grade and his mom dropped out in her senior year because she was pregnant with her first daughter. Although she did later get her GED. His older sisters were in a charter school in New Hampshire and when it closed, they too dropped out, he said.
He’s the first, said his Mom.
“We’re very, very proud of him and he just amazes me every day,” she said. “He’s always been the absolute best. I couldn’t ask for better. He’s my only son and he has definitely stood his ground.”
Emery is humble about his accomplishments, but everyone around him is quick to praise him.
Great aunt Sally Taylor said he became the man of the house when he was 15, helping her with her 25-acre property.
“I’m excited and glad about his graduation. He worked hard and he gets to move on to his next chapter in life,” she said.
He was always really good about saving his money that he got for his birthday and when he got up to $1,000, he opened a bank account when he was 16, Taylor said.
“Then he started buying things. He bought his own car when he got his license,” she said. “We wanted to help him, but he wanted to do it on his own.”
And his grandmother, Brenda Smith, added that Emery has gained confidence and self respect through the outdoor program.
In addition to school trips, Emery worked through the school’s extended learning opportunity program at Snow Farm in Danforth and with Conley at moose camp as a cooks helper. He also helped Conley with Allagash canoe trips.
“He loved the trips. He made friends, he got Christmas cards from people who went home from the moose hunts and the Allagash trips. He would come back with gifts because these people liked him so much,” his grandmother said.
So now that Emery graduated on Thursday night, he said it doesn’t feel too much different. He’s thinking of going into the military, maybe the Marines, he said.
“I think I would like the challenge,” Emery said.
