Garrett College Alumni
Stephen Mogge
GC provided Adventure Sports graduate with the foundation to explore interests, challenge himself, and grow academically
"Studying at Garrett College through the adventure sports program was an incredible and life-defining experience for me," remarked Stephen Mogge, a native of Rockville who earned his associate's degree in adventure sports management prior to continuing his studies at Frostburg State University to earn his bachelor's degree. "I created so many lifelong relationships through that experience and think of Garrett County as home."
Mogge was one of the first group of graduates to earn the new adventure sports management bachelor's degree offered at Frostburg. After his graduation from Frostburg, he took a year off to pursue a master's degree in special education from Johns Hopkins University, working as a paraeducator with Montgomery County Public Schools. He is currently a special education teacher and JV boys' basketball coach at Northwood High School in MCPS.
He first found out about GC through his uncle (a resident of Garrett County) who had taken a few whitewater courses offered through the Adventure Sports Institute.
"To be honest I was at a "crossroads" in my life. I had been working in the restaurant industry for five years and knew that I wanted to try something different, but I was undecided if I wanted to go back to school," stated Mogge. "The restaurant that I worked at closed down. Given the break between jobs, I decided to hike the Appalachian Trail (AT) and try to reassess my future. That turned into a month-long adventure, from the Mason-Dixon Line to southern Virginia."
That experience reignited Mogge's love for the outdoors and reintroduced the healing and growing power of outdoor adventure.
"The week after I returned from the AT trip, my uncle reached out to me and mentioned ASI at Garrett College," he said. "It seemed like an easy decision in which I could pursue something I love."
According to Mogge, attending Garrett College provided him with the foundation to explore his interests, challenge himself, and grow academically.
"Each step was a building block that prepared me for what was next. I learned discipline, overcoming challenges and commitment through my first two years at Garrett College," he remarked. "All the life experiences at Garrett College helped me to complete my master's in special education program at Johns Hopkins, and achieve success in my current profession."
It's difficult for Mogge to sum up his college experience in a few words.
"From a technical standpoint, Garrett College is a small scale and intimate learning environment that offers great opportunities to get to know your teachers, fellow students and other college employees," he noted. "The ASI experience is mostly experiential education, the instructors are nurturing, the class sizes are small, and the outdoor adventure opportunities in Western Maryland are limitless."
In addition to the vast amount of outdoor activities and opportunities in the area, Mogge also benefitted from being part of a close-knit family and community.
"There is also an element of family at Garrett College, especially in the ASI program," he said. "Becoming a part of that community benefited me in so many ways, and I always received support from the people around me and I never felt lost."
The adventure sports program has influenced him in more ways than he can count.
"The ASI program taught me about leadership and understanding group dynamics, gave me the skills to overcome any challenges or adversity I might face in the future, and opened my eyes to so many diverse environments and playgrounds that the outdoors can offer," added Mogge. "It also introduced me to an incredible community of amazing people. From the beautiful community down at Whitegrass in Canaan Valley, W.Va., to the local whitewater community, to the climbing community at Seneca Rocks and to all the local Garrett County ASI alumni that are still in the area."
He continued, "All these communities have amazing people and even though the activities may be different, each group shares a love for adventure and the outdoors, and are very supportive of one another."
For Mogge, so much of what he learned in the adventure sports program transferred into the classroom setting.
"Adventure sports taught me how to guide students through the unknown, and how to best interact with others to determine their true strengths and weaknesses, including how to create the best possible learning environment for students," he noted. "I am able to pass down those skills and tools I used to overcome challenges and adversity in adventure sports. All of the mental skills required in adventure sports individually or as a group can be directly applied to almost any problems people face."
Mogge considers each of his instructors, professors, and co-workers as mentors, with each one leaving a profound impact on him.
"ASI has a feeling of family that is unique to it compared to most school programs," he added. "ASI provides you with some of the most experienced, skillful and talented adjunct instructors in the area and they are nationally recognized individuals in their sport. Being exposed to all these people provides a lot of mentors who share their love for their craft and learning."
He credits Terry Peterson, Andy Hershey, Peter Skylstad, Scott Richardson, and Sharon Elsey for their contributions while he was a student at GC.
Peterson served as Mogge's instructor for skiing, leadership, and whitewater sports classes.
"She taught me everything I know about experiential education and how to use it in any environment. She provided the learning environment for me to explore and learn a lot about myself and how I can use those tools to make an impact in other people's lives," he explained. "She also taught me so many things about leadership, group dynamics, being flexible, patience and inspiring others through adventure and the outdoors."
Meanwhile, Hershey was the professor that encouraged him to pursue a master's degree.
"He taught me about professionalism and how to start looking into the future to determine what I want after college," Mogge said. "He shared with me the opportunities a master's degree in special education can provide."
Peter Skylstad, professor for GC's Natural Resources & Wildlife Technology (NRWT) program, also influenced Mogge.
"He provided such a unique and engaging approach to learning the biological aspects of Garrett County," Mogge said. "From his natural history class in Garrett County to spending three weeks in his natural history class in Costa Rica, I learned so much and continue to see the outdoors through a more connected, empathetic, appreciative and broader lens."
Mogge also spent time working with Scott Richardson, ASI instructor, as a student and as a supervisor during his time at GC and Frostburg.
For five years, he worked with Richardson in the Transition Age Youth (TAY) program, a local program that works with 8th graders who have special needs in the Garrett County Public School System. The program strives to provide mentoring opportunities to expose students to the outdoors and adventure sports.
He also worked the ASI equipment rental shop for four years, and ran the climbing, nature hikes and whitewater kayaking at Fork Run Recreation area and Adventure Sports Center International (ASCI), offered through ASI and GC.
"Through all of these jobs I learned so much and am grateful to Scott for providing me the opportunity to gain so much experience," he noted. "Being a part of the TAY organization is probably one of the biggest reasons I am working in the profession I am now."
Mogge added, "I also must mention the very special Sharon Elsey, who kept all of us students and teachers in ASI organized and on track."
"Hopefully I will make it back to living up in those mountains one day," he said. "I still spend my summers there and every three-day weekend I get. There is something truly special about the community and environment in Garrett County."
