Alumni Highlight: Ben Blair 

​RMYC alumni Ben Blair, principal of Chicago’s Rogers Park Montessori School, says “I owe my professional success to RMYC—it changed my life.” That means a lot, coming from someone as successful as him. With a BA degree in Anthropology from University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, and a Masters from Chicago’s Columbia College, Ben first came to RMYC as an assistant trail crew leader in 2002, working on the Continental Divide Trail. An educator for RMYC’s Yampa Valley Science School program, he returned the next year as crew lead and for another season at the Science School, before working the following winter as a school-based mentor for RMYC. Now a leader in Chicago’s educational system, he credits RMYC as providing the foundation for his career. We caught up with him just as the school bell rang this fall for a few of his thoughts on the organization and its importance in shaping young adults’ lives.

​

How do you like working as principal of a Montessori school?

I enjoy the strong sense of community in our students, faculty, and families. In a big city like Chicago, it's nice to be in a place every day where we know each other's names, look out for one another's well-being and share our children's school years. The job is wide-ranging, from supporting teachers in their classrooms to working with parents on community initiatives and leading the administrative team in running the school. With my team, I plan the budget, build marketing initiatives, develop the strategic plan, and fundraise. And every once in a while, I mop up vomit. Every day is different, but they all provide the opportunity to connect with our students to share in their success and joys, but also to walk beside them as they navigate struggles. Our purpose is clear: We’re supporting the leaders of tomorrow, cultivating in them confidence, curiosity, and independence. I am deeply appreciative of the work our school does and am grateful to have spent the last 20 years of my professional life here.

 

How did you first get involved with RMYC?

As I closed out my undergraduate career, I didn’t have much idea of what was next. I had been a Boy Scout growing up and been on backpacking expeditions with them, and had studied abroad trekking across the Siberian taiga to learn about nomadic reindeer herders. I knew that I loved being outdoors, so I began exploring career options that might allow me to do that. Spots like Outward Bound and NOLS pointed me towards Youth Corps, and I sent my resume to RMYC. I have a flashbulb memory of the phone call I received just a few days after college graduation inviting me to join them...with the hopes I could report for duty just a few days later. I asked for a day to think it over and called back within the hour. And so, I packed up my apartment, dumped all my stuff at home, and headed west from Chicago to join RMYC. That summer changed the entire trajectory of my life.

 

Any special memories working with RMYC crews?

I have so many core memories, from summiting my first mountains in the Rockies to building epic staircases out of giant rocks, but one stands out above all else. We were working on Berthoud Pass and had been chased off the ridge several days in a row. Our crew leader announced that we would start getting up earlier so we could get closer to a full workday in before the afternoon storms rolled through. As I sat there eating my breakfast in the dark, the moon slowly set behind the horizon. I'd never seen that before and was absolutely awe-struck by the beauty of the moment and the stillness in the night that followed.

 

Why is it important to engage youth in the outdoors?

Let's be honest. Knowing how to poop outside is an important life skill. Beyond that, I strongly believe that young folks who can connect with the land around them develop a different sense of the world. There is value in helping humans find the meditative quality of a slow walk in the woods or the simple joy of splashing in a creek. The challenges of our Earth's future also rely on folks getting a better sense of the impact their decisions have. Being outside in the elements day in and day out builds grit and resilience. Hiking with a Pulaski slung over your shoulder (or carefully stowed in your downhill hand) in the sideways rain ensures that later a tough day with a coworker or a challenging problem to solve comes with a certainty that "We can do hard things."

 

Any advice for future crew members or leaders?

Enjoy every single moment of the back-breaking labor. There is nothing like trail crew.