more" /> more" /> more" />
Explore Austin
  • Menu
    • Who We Are
    • Get Involved
      • Become a Board Member
      • Quest for the Summit
      • Join Our Team
    • About Us
    • Our Explorers
    • Our Staff
    • Our Supporters
    • Our Mentors
    • Our Board
    • Press
    • Blog
    • Annual Report
  • Donate
    • Donate Now
    • Give Monthly
    • Trailblazer Campaign
      • Sub Item 1
  • Who We Are
    • About Us
    • Our Staff
    • Our Board
    • Our Mentors
    • Our Explorers
    • Our Supporters
  • Impact
    • Blog
    • Press
    • Annual Report
Explore Austin
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Mentor
    • Become a Board Member
    • Attend Quest for the Summit
    • Join Our Team
  • Ways To Give
    • Donate Now
    • Give Monthly
    • Summit Circle of Giving
    • Trailblazer Campaign

Explorer Spotlight: Victoria Uriogstegui

Homepage Leadership Explorer Spotlight: Victoria Uriogstegui

Explorer Spotlight: Victoria Uriogstegui

ExploreAustinAdmin
August 6, 2021
Leadership

When asked what stands out most during her six years in the Explore Austin program, East Austin resident and recent high school graduate Victoria Uriostegui has no shortage of tales about heart-pounding, stomach-churning, adrenaline-pumping challenges. In her calm and frank way, Victoria narrates her first trip with the EA program. She recalls the anxiety of boarding a plane for the first time, the nerves of spending her first nights away from home, the exhilaration of mountain biking down steep and slippery gravel trails, the terror of sleeping in a tent in the freezing wilderness, petrified that every bump or rustle was a hungry bear lumbering into the campsite for a late-night snack. While riddled with pure emotions, these memories are punctuated with evidence of personal growth and a continued sense of community, as Victoria shares that she learned to channel her fear into determination and began to lean on her teammates and mentors to give her the little push of courage she needed to scale a boulder or press on through aching feet to cover the last miles of a backpacking trek.

Victoria and her Explore Austin Team, the Arrows, at a Saturday Challenge

As trust between mentor and mentee was built challenge by challenge, the pushes to climb a little higher or paddle a little faster evolved into candid conversations about the future. Victoria’s mentor began to discuss what her life could look like past high school and the EA program. They pushed Victoria to weigh her interests against potential careers, giving her the opportunity to take career assessments and personality evaluations. During this time, while working with the homeless population in her community, Victoria realized that she wanted to be a force for good, continuing the community-oriented work that benefited her so greatly. Now, accepted to the University of Texas at Austin’s Moody School of Communication and Leadership, Victoria plans to pursue a career in the nonprofit or public sector. She’ll begin her journey in Fall 2021, with UT’s incoming freshman class.

Bringing the story full circle, Victoria is headed back to the place that spurred her path to leadership. Interning with Explore Austin’s fund development team, Victoria is playing a key role in advocating for the financial support that is required to achieve outdoor equity. In her own words, Victoria shares why the Explore Austin program is so important to her.

The Arrows on their Capstone Summer Wilderness Trip in the Wind River Range in Wyoming.

“It wasn’t until I entered Explore Austin that I truly blossomed. The program was like a long retreat for me, where I discovered myself and refined my abilities. I began to form leadership skills my younger, timid self wouldn’t have believed. I look at all I’ve done, and I think about all about the opportunities I missed thinking they were “too hard.” Reflecting on my teammates and mentors, all amazing women, seeing them persevere through numerous challenges, has made me confident and proud. I am determined to be strong like them. I am determined to steadily hold the reins of my future.”

Tags: Austin Explore Austin leadership nature outdoor adventure outdoor leadership taking risks Texas
Previous Story
Explore Austin Empowers Youth Through Mentorship and Outdoor Adventure By: Korrin Bishop
Next Story
The ABC’s of Backpacking

Leave your comment Cancel Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Recent Posts

  • The Ripple Effect of Outdoor Adventure. Wednesday, 13, Apr
  • Action-Oriented Ways to Prepare for Winter Weather Thursday, 20, Jan
  • Courageous in Play Helps Children Develop into Confident Adults Tuesday, 11, Jan
  • How Mentoring with Explore Austin Changed My Life. Wednesday, 27, Oct

Recent Comments

    Archives

    • April 2022
    • January 2022
    • October 2021
    • August 2021
    • November 2020
    • June 2020
    • March 2020
    • November 2019
    • August 2019
    • June 2019
    • April 2019
    • February 2019
    • August 2018
    • July 2018

    Categories

    • Adventure
    • Community
    • Families
    • Leadership
    • Mentoring
    • Outdoors
    • Uncategorized
    • Youth Development

    Meta

    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org

    Tags

    adventure Austin Backpacking communication Explore Austin leadership nature outdoor adventure outdoor basics outdoor leadership Programs Summer Wilderness trips taking risks teamwork Texas trip leader tips Youth development

    About Explore Austin

    info@exploreaustin.org

    (512) 320-8899

    Helpful Info

    • Mentor Resources
    • Explorer & Parent Resources
    • Program Calendar
    • Donate
    • Contact
    • Join Explore Austin Email List
    This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

    Error: No feed found.

    Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to create a feed.

    Copyright © 2022 Explore Austin. All Rights Reserved. Tax Info
    SearchPostsLogin
    Wednesday, 13, Apr
    The Ripple Effect of Outdoor Adventure.
    Thursday, 20, Jan
    Action-Oriented Ways to Prepare for Winter Weather
    Tuesday, 11, Jan
    Courageous in Play Helps Children Develop into Confident Adults
    Wednesday, 27, Oct
    How Mentoring with Explore Austin Changed My Life.
    Tuesday, 5, Oct
    Explore Austin Summer Wilderness Trip (aka the hardest week of my life)
    Wednesday, 25, Aug
    Playing our ACES: Explore Austin’s Secret to Comprehensive Youth Development

    Welcome back,