Winter 2014 Newsletter Extended: Ari Kamp
Live It, Protect It, Explore It!
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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: ARI KAMP, COMING 'HOME'!
By: Heidi Reighard (RPTA ’14), Staff Writer
Ari Kamp, also a staff writer for The Report, is a third year transfer student from Bozeman, Montana. Growing up in Montana, Ari developed a love for nature, which in turn led to being more active and enjoying the outdoors. Kamp found the opportunity to go to school in a coastal community when she and her father took a trip to Santa Barbara to deliver a motorcycle to an individual on the Central Coast. While there, they took some time to visit schools, and it didn’t take long for Kamp to be sold on the idea of living and going to school in California. Prior to transferring to Cal Poly, she spent three years at Santa Barbara City College (SBCC). Kamp played volleyball for 2 years at SBCC, and the team made several visits to SLO for games. “It always reminded me of my hometown back in Montana…but with a beach,” Kamp said with her signature smile. She felt at home here in SLO, and her friends and teachers alike suggested she look into transferring to Cal Poly.
Like many other college students, Kamp wasn’t entirely sure what she wanted her degree to be, but after talking to a local Cal Poly graduate about the RPTA program, she immediately knew it would be a perfect fit for her interests and passions. Kamp especially liked how everyone she spoke with in the major was enthusiastic about the field and the lives they lived. Her favorite aspect, however, was the faculty and the opportunities that they help provide and encourage students to seek. “I was so impressed by the faculty and how personable each of them were; their experiences, stories, and thoughts on the field as a whole. I am always fascinated when I am reminded that I can gain an education and spend my life working in a field that I am so wildly passionate about; I think that that is pretty amazing.” During her first quarter here, Kamp jumped right in, organizing and hosting a local beach cleanup project, working with other classmates and local businesses to put on a Health & Wellness Fair on campus, and volunteering within the community. So far she is extremely pleased with the RPTA department and with Cal Poly in that learning here doesn’t even feel like school, but rather a fun way to gain new skills and create lifelong experiences.
As of yet, Ari has not declared her concentration, but she is strongly considering Outdoor, Adventure, and Resource Recreation. “I know that I want to pursue a career that allows me to work with others and have positive interactions and influences in an outdoor setting. Hearing first hand stories and experiences that many of the RPTA professors have had working in the outdoors makes me realize how many opportunities are out there and how rewarding they can truly be.”
Ari’s plans after graduating reflect that adventurous spirit that many RPTA students possess. She wants to travel, try new things, and meet people to get her out of her comfort zone and widen her perspective on life. “I plan to move to New Zealand for a job in outdoor recreation and for pure fun, work and live on or near the ocean, do some sailing; I have also always wanted to be a surfer, and most importantly, I want to have some kind of positive impact and influence on other’s lives for the better. I am very excited!”
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