This May, many Florida Gulf Coast University seniors will take their last set of final exams and celebrate with the feeling that they’ve completed an adventure and climbed a mountain.
Now, with the help of Outdoor Pursuits, they can make that metaphor a reality.
For the first time, Outdoor Pursuits is arranging a senior trip designed to provide graduating seniors with a getaway during the week that lies between the end of finals and commencement.
Coordinator of Outdoor Pursuits Grant Fleetwood explained that this is the first time OP is planning a trip such as this.
“There is a week of space this semester between when finals are done and commencement. Seniors have to stay around, so we wanted to program something out for them to do,” Fleetwood said.
Fleetwood and his staff took a similar trip in January for their staff training and wanted to take their experiences and translate them back into an opportunity for graduating seniors.
“This is the first time we’re able to do something like this because of the way the schedule works out this year, so we’re really excited,” Fleetwood said.
The Senior Trip will consist of a four-day canoeing, camping, hiking and rock climbing adventure.
Trip attendees will leave FGCU on the evening of Monday, May 5 and begin their adventure by camping out at FGCU’s ropes course in Buckingham.
The following morning they will travel to their trip destinations of Ginnie Springs, Santa Fe River and the Orlando climbing gym.
Seniors will return Friday, May 9 with plenty of time to prepare for commencement on Saturday.
In order to register for the senior trip, participants must be FGCU students graduating in December 2013 or Spring/ Summer 2014.
Trip registration will be $140 and includes all food, travel and camping expenses for those attending.
Registration will close at 5 p.m. Friday, April 25 and students can register and pay through the Campus Recreation online store.
For more information about the senior trip or Outdoor Pursuits, please email [email protected] or call 239-590-187