Erick Crockenberg – Award Sponsored by Outdoor Gear Exchange
Charlotte, VT
University of Vermont
Erick’s Bio
Erick grew up in Vermont and has never left. He went to CVU high school, took a year off to travel and ski bum across the Western United States and Canada, and ended up at the University of Vermont. He graduated in 2014 with a self-designed major in Ecological Design. Throughout college he and a good friend led research on sustainable heat and carbon sequestration systems for locals farms. As a college senior, he co-founded New Moran, Inc. a 501(c)3 organization that won a year-long business
competition working with the City of Burlington on the environmental remediation and cultural re-use of a derelict former coal plant and waterfront campus. He has also worked as farmer, carpenter, and cook – including as the chef on a 137ft wooden sailboat voyage with the World Ocean School this summer. This Winter 2020, he will be working with 40 Tribes, a backcountry ski guiding and community development initiative in the Tien Shan Mountains of northeastern Kyrgyzstan.
READ – Erick’s Essay
READ – Erick’s Recommendation
My Core Values
- I believe life boils down to experiences, relationships, and what we leave behind.
- Relationships – the people we choose to surround ourselves with - your friends, family and loved ones. These people bring more joy into life than anything else - gather them, appreciate them, love them, and choose them wisely.
- Experiences – the creation of memories and the stories we have to share - the travels, adventures, risks taken, meals cooked, mistakes made, knowledge gained - take advantage of the moment - the impromptu experiences are many times the most meaningful.
- What you leave behind – this is the most challenging - the creation of permanence, what out lives you, what you will be remembered by. These things can be simple or grand, but most importantly, they provide us purpose and meaning.
- I believe the “perfect” day balances: 1) Hands – using you body - going on a bike ride, weeding the garden, swinging a hammer, or cooking a big meal - calloused palms are better than smooth ones. 2) Head – using your mind - challenging yourself mentally, learning, problem solving, reading, fixing something, discussing an idea - there is nothing more fulfilling then learning and trying something new. 3) Heart – simply, spending time with the people you love.
- Don’t be an asshole.
- Chuckle to and at yourself often.
- Don't use the microwave.
- Look people in the eye and smile.
- Remember people's names.
- Please, don't always follow the 'rules'.
- Think big, and then figure it out.