Student Stories

Simran Chambers

Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degree graduate
Climbing Guide, SWS Mountain Guides

Mount Whitney and Mount Shasta are two bucket-list fourteeners for many climbers seeking alpine adventure in California. Reaching those lofty summits — the highest in the contiguous U.S. and second-highest in the Cascades, respectively — is a way of life for Simran Chambers, a guide with SWS Mountain Guides, whose “office” sprawls across the 14,000-plus-foot slopes.

“It is thanks especially to (professor) Tim Peterson who put me in contact with the company, propelling me into the industry more quickly that I thought possible,” says Chambers, who completed her studies at COCC in 2024. “My goal is to eventually combine my love for mountaineering and guiding with my interests in climate science and geology to work with the United States Antarctica Program.”

Chambers’ journey from her native Chicago to Central Oregon followed a wide search for an education in the outdoors. “The combination of the location of the campus in Bend, with unparalleled access to the outdoors and the accessibility of the program led me to apply,” she recalls. “Once I learned more about the cohort-style (a 24-student group that progresses together) and the courses, I happily enrolled.”

Chambers credits the program’s combination of hard- and soft-skill lessons, as well as an introduction to different forms of experimental learning — in tandem with rock and alpine guide courses — as a strong start to her career. “The instructors of the program actively encouraged us to engage in the outdoors in whatever capacity we were working toward, and helped us to figure what made sense in regard to where we were in life.”

Kevin Swem

Former Outdoor Leadership student 
Warrior Impact Cofounder

When he entered COCC’s Outdoor Leadership program at age 50, to refine backcountry skills and soothe the PTSD he faced from military experience, veteran Kevin Swem quickly found far more than he expected. Despite having a mountaineering and mountain rescue background — with the outdoors having played a powerful part in his own wellness journey — Swem discovered new pursuits, new competencies, and even saw the role of the outdoors in a new light.  

“As I learned about the therapy side of the program, I started to think about my fellow veterans,” says Swem, who credits both the COCC training and the Save a Warrior organization for helping him get through a brutal period of his life.

While at COCC, an instructional rafting trip down a section of Deschutes River rapids brought instant clarity. “Immediately after my first run on ‘Big Eddy,’ I was hooked,” he recalls of the class-III baptism. “This is what I wanted to do for the rest of my active life,” he shares, “and I wanted to share it with my military brothers and sisters.”

Swem began connecting with other veterans and first responders who were whitewater boaters, finding a community that allayed PTSD with team-centered river trips. He also did some guiding with Warfighter Outfitters, bringing veterans on hunting and fishing expeditions. It all coalesced into a mission-driven enterprise that he cofounded, Warrior Impact, that takes individuals with severe PTSD on whitewater adventures, providing support and resources for recovery through camaraderie. 

“Taking what I learned at COCC and what I experienced in Save a Warrior, we bought some rafts, got a van, and now three years later, we run four trips a year, all free, for veterans and first responders,” he says. Community donations and partnerships with groups like Save a Warrior help make trips on the Rogue and Salmon rivers possible. “We are helping save lives of those who served us,” says Swem.

Eduardo Romero

Outdoor Leadership graduate 
Program assistant, Vamonos Outside

Romero works with Vamonos Outside, a Central Oregon organization that coordinates inspiring outdoor experiences for the Latinx community. “The COCC program taught me how to be a leader,” he says. “I came into it with a lot of the technical skills needed outdoors, but I didn’t know how to manage groups of people and how to guide them.” Romero adds, “The most impactful experience I had was during our second expedition, which was a ski expedition, where I had the realization of how much I had learned. In our first winter expedition, I had an awful time in the snow — it was all a learning experience. In our second expedition, everything was easy because I became proficient at what I had learned before. I became more confident with myself and working with others.”