Wilderness First-Aid in High School

High School student Claire Holman practices a safe carry with her WAFA instructor, Jason Barschdorf.

Claire Holman is a senior at Maranacook Community High School in Readfield, Maine and a past recipient of Sara’s Scholarship, our annual program that awards outdoor club students a chance to enjoy a summer experience outside. Claire lives in Mount Vernon, a rural Maine community surrounded by forest and lakes. She grew up biking, skiing and skating, and developed a deep love for the outdoors. For her Sara’s Scholarship experience, Claire wanted to take a Wilderness Advanced First Aid (WAFA) Course with L.L.Bean, with the hope that it would help her learn the skills to become a confident trip leader and empower her outdoors.

We sat down with Claire to find out more about her experience taking the course, what she learned about herself and her hopes for future learnings.

Did you have any apprehensions about the course?

I hadn't received any medical training prior to taking this course and was concerned that I might be a bit behind. There were multiple physicians and nurses in class, but also many others like me who had no medical background. I found that I loved this classroom made up of people of varying ages and experiences.

Did you make any personal connections with your classmates?

There were two other young women just a little older than myself who had flown in from Chicago to take this course for their jobs. We would go out to lunch together, which was especially fun as they came from wildly different backgrounds from my own.

Were there parts of the course that surprised you?

I took the 4-day course more out of practicality than for fun, but I ended up really geeking out over the medical side of things. I particularly loved the hands-on aspects of the course where we would practice anything from carries to splinting to hypothermia wraps.

Would you recommend this course to other students interested in first-aid?

Definitely! The course taught me enough to feel confident in most medical situations I might encounter in the wilderness, while still understanding when to seek out expert medical attention. It was also just a really fun experience and way to meet interesting people.

What are the next steps for you? Will you continue to study first-aid/medicine?

I am not quite sure where I will end up next year but, if possible, I would love to continue my first-aid education by becoming an EMT and possibly working as one during college.

Interested in having an immersive experience like Claire? This year’s Sara’s Scholarship provides Maine high school 10th graders the opportunity to backpack or kayak this summer with Rippleffect or Chewonki. To learn more or apply, visit here. And many thanks to Claire for sharing her experience!

This interview has been edited and condensed for brevity and clarity.