Blue Shapiro

COE Impact Profile: Blue Shapiro ‘24 

Cornell Outdoor Education (COE) offers students a unique opportunity to broaden their educational experience beyond the classroom, allowing them to develop essential life skills like leadership, teamwork, and resilience while engaging in outdoor activities.

Immersive experiences, ranging from rock climbing and backpacking to canoeing and skiing, encourage students to step out of their comfort zones, fostering personal growth and confidence. By embracing the natural environment, students enhance their physical fitness and mental well-being, all while forming lasting friendships and a deeper connection to nature.  

In his own words, Blue Shapiro ‘24 describes his COE journey to find community, support, and the opportunity to build new skills, enriching his Cornell experience.

An opportunity to build community

“I was introduced to COE by chance during my sophomore year. Starting at Cornell during the pandemic, it had been overwhelming to find a sense of community. Becoming an instructor provided me with an immediate source of support and countless opportunities to develop new skills. I was taken aback by how comfortable and safe the full-time COE staff and instructor community felt. At my first all-staff training, I remember the immediate sense of relief at finding this community. And I know I’m not alone in this feeling – it’s been warming to watch my sister, now at Cornell, who this lovely, embracing group has similarly taken in.

“More than anything else, COE has allowed me to realize that teaching is a universal skill developed through practice and passion. Through curiosity alone, I’ve been fortunate enough to teach for so many programs… trail running, canoeing, sea kayaking, tree climbing, backcountry cooking, mountain biking – and I still hope to develop new skills. COE has fostered a newfound love of teaching, offering resources for instructor development, while also granting a unique autonomy over course curricula. As an instructor, developing classes with co-instructors is immensely rewarding, and the developed skills are invaluable to my undergraduate and future career.

“Outside of teaching, serving as a COE outfitting logistics assistant, or “Wizard,” has been the social foundation of my time at Cornell. I’ve made my closest friends through the role, who have motivated me to pursue new and incredible activities – incredible hikes, ultramarathons, and canoe races, to name a few. Remaining at Cornell for a graduate program, I’ll undoubtedly miss friends moving on to careers and new experiences outside of Ithaca. However, I know that I will continue to support COE and meet a host of new individuals.

“Engaging with COE in any capacity is a delight, and I would advise all to remain curious. The past few years have provided so many new, outstanding experiences that could not have been possible without openness to attempt the unfamiliar. COE makes so many amazing opportunities accessible to all – and full-timers and instructors alike will be willing to help get you involved!”

Learning through challenges

 “Instructing for COE is often thrilling! I find that the most rewarding challenges can come from handling unexpected problems — not just the technical elements of an activity.

“I recently co-taught a COE sea kayaking program in the Adirondacks with two close friends. The class culminated in a longer expedition over fall break, which we had planned to be a lovely scenic adventure at Cranberry Lake. The trip was immediately more intense than expected, with severely strong wind gusts, and cold, persistent rain that lasted the entire trip. As an instructor team, we understood that we had to forfeit all initial plans and reshape the course on the fly.

“Completely restructuring our route and schedule was a new challenge – especially while maintaining morale for our students and ourselves. We kept warm and sane with lunches spent cozied under an igloo-like tarp, or by keeping bottles of boiled water (“Nalgene babies!”) fixed on our chests. Our departures to new campsites were also outrageously rigorous. Conditions proved too severe to travel in a pod, so we sent students in single-file against waves and wind.  

“Despite the weather, I was proud that we navigated students successfully each day.  Managing the trip was immensely difficult, but also immensely rewarding. After the difficulties of the days, small moments were so enjoyable – including dinners and desserts cooked under tarp, or momentary breaks in the clouds to enjoy the mountain views.

“More than any other course before, I felt tested in my resolve and ability to teach. We became able communicators as instructors, planning each day in the early morning and de-briefing for the next in the evenings. My confidence and will to teach have been strengthened by this experience, and I look forward to the next instructing challenge!”