Alumus and teacher, Mr. Timothy Gamwell, is often described as the fun philosophical figure of ILS.
But Mr. Gamwell’s do-good doctrine does not come from a blunderingly boring history. In fact, the opposite is true.
While there he saw salmon, bears, and native fishermen. As much as he loved the wilderness, he treasured the beauty of Alaska’s traditional native practices even more.
“During my years in college, I studied water quality in the Caribbean,” Mr. Gamwell said.
Riding in a 195-foot sail boat named the Cramer (like Cosmo Cramer from “Seinfeld”), Mr. Gamwell and his crew traveled for six weeks, navigating with the sun and stars. While on this trip, he stumbled across an abandoned island. Though it looked like a regular island, he and his crew found four armed soldiers. Terrified because of his limited Spanish, he made a split-second decision and talked the crew out of anything unsavory. Thankfully upon further inspection, the soldiers ended up being law enforcement officials fighting against drug trafficking.
“In 2010, I went to Vermont for a 28-day solo trip,” Mr. Gamwell said.
After departing from Williamstown, he spent the first six days with his dad. After that he was alone—hitchhiking, hiking, wandering, wondering, exploring, and having fun. He loved every second of his time there, and found it beautiful in every sense. Apart from just the view, he saw it as a life-changing experience.
Mr. Gamwell finds that because of his experience with the world he can provide his students with worthwhile advice. One piece of advice from Mr. Gamwell is this: “Life-changing experiences force you to make a decision.” Now, whether you make the best choice or not it is still a life-changing experience.
