In May 2004, Britton Keeshan, a double major in molecular biology and religion at Middlebury, reached the top of Mount Everest, the world's tallest peak, carrying photos of his grandfather, Bob Keeshan, a.k.a. Captain Kangaroo. He thus became the youngest person to attain the Seven Summits—the tallest mountain on each of the seven continents.
It's amazing how
unforeseen opportunities can change your life forever. I had not grown up wanting to be a "Feb" at Middlebury [students who begin their careers at the College with the spring semester]. But when my acceptance letter came, telling me I'd been accepted for February, I was full of ideas and adventures that I might pursue in my time before college. I chose to do some volunteer work in Northern India and climb in Argentina—without a doubt, experiences that are rare for the average American soon-to-be college student, but not really that unusual for Middlebury's unique Feb class. The experiences I had outside of Middlebury quickly became interwoven with my education. Indian philosophy became the focus of a religion major that complemented my other major, in molecular biology. Middlebury has offered me a freedom that has made my education here one-of-a-kind. The College has empowered me to take control of my interests by participating in seminars, and encouraged personal exploration through study abroad in the United Kingdom and winter term opportunities in Ethiopia.
Through my volunteer work with the Middlebury Volunteer Ambulance Association and my job at the local hospital, I also feel I've become more than just a college student; I'm a member of the greater Middlebury community.
When I told my dean in the fall of 2003 that I wanted to take a semester off to climb in Antarctica and Nepal, he offered to help me prepare, and even pack my bags. I am often asked what it feels like to stand on top of the world, literally. When I reached the top of Everest on May 24, 2004, I couldn't help but think back to the various events in my life that had led me there. And I realized that the lessons I'd learned at Middlebury and my experiences while there as a student had given me the confidence to tackle any mountains, literal and figurative, that I might face in my life.
For more on Britton Keeshan's "Seven Summit" adventures, see the story "7 Up " from the winter 2005 Middlebury Magazine, now posted at the magazine web site .