and I would like to express my gratitude to VOC as one of the recipients of the 2022 Grossman Scholarship!

VOC’s generosity in offering this scholarship will open many doors for me in the next year, as it reduces the financial burden of school and allows me to focus on the unique internship opportunities available as I pursue my Master of Social Work (MSW).

This fall I will begin my first field placement at a residential treatment facility for adolescent boys in the foster care system. I will be developing an adventure-focused curriculum to provide outdoor experiences to children who have lived through some of the most challenging circumstances and may never had the means to access these spaces. Receiving the Grossman Scholarship will allow me to focus my full attention on this project and my studies, which I am so grateful for.

I am currently entering my second year as an MSW student at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. As someone who began graduate school in their 30s, I have been lucky to have a wide variety of experiences that have led me to where I am now. It has been amazing to see my past jobs and volunteer positions, seemingly so different, come together to culminate in my chosen career path. Previously, I lived on the western slope and worked as an adaptive sports and recreation instructor, helping people with disabilities experience the outdoors in all kinds of ways. After a summer as an AmeriCorps volunteer with an environmental science non-profit, I decided that I wanted to engage with and protect the natural world through people-focused, outdoor-based mental health programs.

This realization led me to my current role as an Adventure-Based Mental Health Specialist. In my position, I run five-day outdoor-based trips for veterans focused on building mental health and resiliency through adventure. I firmly believe that our public lands offer growth and healing opportunities to those who are struggling that are currently underappreciated. Not only that, but we have an incredible opportunity to build an even stronger community of stewardship in Colorado by providing these types of programs to a larger population.

Over the course of my career, I have developed a fundamental belief that outdoor adventure holds an infinite capacity as a transformative, healing space. With my degree, I hope to continue providing mental health programs that focus on the outdoors and experiential learning, while also teaching responsible usership and protection of our greatest asset – public lands. I also hope to address the inequities that are currently present in access to the outdoors as well as wilderness therapy settings. After all, public spaces are for everyone, and we all deserve the opportunity to live a healthy and active life, both physically and emotionally.

I am honored to have been selected for this scholarship and am impressed with VOC’s commitment to ensuring that outdoor access, conservation, and stewardship are something that every person can experience. I hope that throughout my career I can continue to carry forward the mission of VOC in a unique setting with a distinct perspective.

Again, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to both VOC and the Grossman family for their support of my education. The opportunity to work in a field that both impacts people deeply and brings my interests together is not one that I take for granted. I know that it cannot be done without the support of organizations like VOC!

Adrienne is one of six students to receive VOC's Grossman Scholarship for the 2022-23 school year. VOC offers two $10,000 and four $5,000 scholarships annually to eligible Colorado residents who have demonstrated a commitment to caring for our environment's natural resources and intend to pursue post-secondary education through an accredited environmental, natural resource, climate, or outdoor industry related education program in Colorado.

Applications for the 2023-24 school year will open in October 2022.