Brevard College has been named a Top Adventure College by Blue Ridge Outdoor Magazine.
Brevard was named number one in the small school bracket and second overall in the magazine’s six-week, March-Madness-style competition.
“While we certainly would have loved to win the overall competition, we can’t complain too much about losing overall to Appalachian State University given that they have more students currently enrolled there than we have graduates,” said Susan Cothern, BC vice president for Institutional Advancement. “The fact that we finished the competition in second place is a huge testament to the extreme loyalty of our students, alumni and community.”
The College climbed its way to the championship round against Appalachian State University by beating schools like Western Carolina University, Davidson College, Maryville College and the University of the South along the way. In all, 32 colleges and universities – selected by the magazine for their outdoor curricula and their opportunities for adventure – competed for the honor. In its August issue, the magazine highlights Brevard College’s popular outdoors experiences, including its Immersion Semester, Voice of the Rivers (VOR) source-to-sea expedition and BC Bikes program. It also touts the College’s popular Wilderness Leadership & Experiential Education (WLEE) major as well as the experiential education component of the program, which is a core value of Brevard College. “At Brevard College, WLEE is not so much an acronym as it is an identity,” says the magazine. “Pronounced ‘Willy,’ the WLEE, or Wilderness Leadership & Experiential Education, program is one of the college’s landmark majors.”
Brevard College sophomore Andrew Gunnin, who took part in the College’s recent VOR trip along the Suwannee River, told the magazine that the river experience taught him how to work with people he may or may not like, a lesson that he knows will carry over into his career pursuits. “Originally, I wanted nothing to do with the outdoors,” Gunnin shared in the article. “I was a city boy, and city boys just don’t do things like that. But when I saw how fun it looked, I couldn’t resist. When you’re separated from the world for three weeks, you learn a little bit about yourself.”