Holly Fasching ’26
Major: Design
Hometown: Lehighton, Pennsylvania
What drew you to Lehigh Launch?
Lehigh has been the only school I’ve wanted to go to for years, and when I saw they had this program it was just a no-brainer. I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to travel to a part of the country I haven’t been to and experience the life and culture there to the fullest.
What did you like most about Lehigh Launch?
I got to experience history and culture in a way that a textbook can’t give you, but also in a way that just traveling on your own might not provide. We got the opportunity to meet with people who lived in the West and knew it inside and out — that inside is far more valuable than any second hand source.
What was the most valuable thing you learned?
I learned that how I take care of myself is incredibly important when in new situations and living with people of different backgrounds and ideas.
What is a fun fact from the trip?
While in Wyoming, I learned about Clark’s nutcracker, a bird that feeds almost exclusively on the whitebark pine’s seeds, which means the tree depends on the Clark’s nutcracker to populate. They rely on each other and are facing detrimental effects due to climate change because of habitat loss.
What is something you wish you had known before you packed your bags?
Pack less. I packed minimally but still needed way less than I brought out.
Trinity Trainor ’26
Hometown: Framingham, Massachusetts
What drew you to Lehigh Launch?
NOLS was the selling point for me, living out West after was a bonus. I was really excited to be able to live for months in two states I had never even been to for a day.
What did you like most about Lehigh Launch?
My favorite part was exploring places I had never been before in a more personal way. We weren’t experiencing it like tourists, we got to get a feel for the culture of each area.
What was the most valuable thing you learned?
Learning about Native culture in the West and how important it is out West was super interesting, but I also really like learning and debating about wolf reintroduction into the wild.
What is a fun fact from the trip?
We actually don’t live in tents the whole time. Everyone I talk to seems to think we do. Living on a ranch was a lot of fun.
What is something you wish you had known before you packed your bags?
That after NOLS, I realized that I needed way less than I packed. Living out of a small backpack makes you reconsider what you really need from what you packed in your large duffel.
Tino Chibvuri ’26
Major: Computer Engineering with Finance-Integrated Business and Engineering (IBE)
Hometown: Harare, Zimbabwe
What drew you to Lehigh Launch?
I was looking for a unique way to challenge myself in my first semester, tapping into spaces I had never been to before, exploring nature and discovering more ways in which humans can live in harmony with their environment. Lehigh Launch offered exactly this.
What did you like most about Lehigh Launch?
I enjoyed the three weeks of backpacking in Wyoming with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), this helped me come out of my comfort zone, and appreciate nature. I also enjoyed the Santa Fe, New Mexico component as I got an opportunity to seamlessly learn about different traditions, religions, and political and social issues about this state. The fieldwork, presentations and speakers we had helped complement what we were learning during classes.
What was the most valuable thing you learned?
To go out there and be willing to interact with many people as you will always walk away with some form of knowledge. Having the willingness to try out new activities be it backpacking as your next great idea or friendship come in the process.
What is a fun fact about the trip?
Adam (one of the Launchers) had a brain compass. Super sharp with his directions and this helped us a lot with navigation during our independent student expedition, NOLS’s three weeks of backpacking.
What is something you wish you had known before you packed your bags?
Packing warmer clothes (layers), as it gets really cold in Wyoming and a small camera or GoPro to capture the many precious moments.
Vitalik Martyniak ’26
Major: Economics and International Relations
Hometown: Zolochivka, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine
What drew you to Lehigh Launch?
The three-week hike in the Wind River Range drew me the most to Lehigh Launch in the American West. However, I was also curious about the U.S. West and it was interesting for me to take courses in the program as they fitted my degree better over the ones in Ecuador.
What did you like most about Lehigh Launch?
The hike in the mountains was the best giving me lots of opportunities to grow; furthermore, I adore the proximity to nature throughout the term when we could experience the environment of the Wyoming and New Mexico so closely. These factors fostered my ability to successfully participate in my university courses and grow as a person. Moreover, I liked all courses in the program, especially, mindfulness, biology, history and religion. Although I could not learn much for my future degree in them, my worldview greatly expanded and I learned many lots of valuable knowledge and information.
What was the most valuable thing you learned?
My biggest lesson that I have gained was the need for nature that I have in my every day life; I saw that need to live a good life so vividly as it helped me to make right choices, learn how to be with myself, my emotions and challenges, learn how to overcome them without handling anxiety and stress.
What is a fun fact from the trip?
I think numerous field trips and lots of conversations made this journey fun. We had lots of hand-based experience.
What is something you wish you had known before you packed your bags?
I wish I could realize what it means to live in a small group of 8 people for the first few months of the trip; that part was the most challenging for me because in this case I struggled to go through the program because I could not connect well with other participants. I wish I could pick this program not just because it offered 3-week hike but also because of a strong and genuine desire to take courses in the program. People should have strong motivation for both parts of the course and preferably their degrees should incorporate at least some Lehigh Launch courses. Unfortunately, that was not the case for me. I was fully satisfied with the 3-week hike but working on the subjects that I had to take was sometimes unpleasant, uninteresting, and discouraging because my future degree has almost nothing to do with the American West. At the same time, I still gained interesting knowledge and many life lessons, so I would say the outstanding nature and mindfulness leveled the lack of strong interest in the courses making it a valuable experience. Finally, the importance of exercise should be once again emphasized for those who are going to participate in the 3-week hike.
Petra Oganovich ’26
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
What drew you to Lehigh Launch?
I love new and unique experiences. The prospect of starting college in a different part of the country was really enticing, and after reading more I learned Launch was a great fit for me.
What did you like most about Lehigh Launch?
NOLS was my favorite part of Lehigh Launch. I learned so much about myself and about how to effectively communicate with others. I also climbed two mountains which was pretty awesome.
What was the most valuable thing you learned?
The best thing I learned was how to work well with others. I was taught about leadership and communication styles, which really helped me.
What is a fun fact from the trip?
I liked mushrooms for the first time during NOLS.
What is something you wish you had known before you packed your bags?
Don’t stress about packing. You are gonna have to send stuff home.
Lorrain Rwasoka ’26
College of Health
Hometown: Harare, Zimbabwe
What drew you to Lehigh Launch?
The need to be able to have confidence in myself and have space to find what I’m passionate about away from campus so that I’m able to take the opportunities that come my way at Lehigh.
What did you like most about Lehigh Launch?
The adventures in places I never dreamed I’d ever be and the opportunity to learn about new things every day.
What was the most valuable thing you learned?
The healing power of being around beauty and having time to myself to meditate and also the time to connect with others.
What is a fun fact from the trip?
The experiences are spontaneous and that’s amazing.
What is something you wish you had known before you packed your bags?
Packing more jerseys and mentally preparing for the experiences.
Sam Anderson ’26
Major: IDEAS
Hometown: Mount Laurel, New Jersey
What drew you to Lehigh Launch?
I was drawn to this program because I have always had a passion for the environment and I wanted to learn more about what we could do to protect it. I was also very drawn to the fact that I could travel for my first semester. Travel has always been one of my favorite things to do and I saw a unique opportunity which I could not pass up.
What did you like most about Lehigh Launch?
I liked that I had the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and experience a whole new culture. I am originally from the east coast, and spending time in the west has allowed me to see the different points of view and values of a different region.
What was the most valuable thing you learned?
The best thing I have learned is how to look at an issue from all sides. In the west, there are so many perspectives that you have to consider when making decisions regarding the environment because there can be so much at stake. You really have to consider all of the benefits and consequences of every action.
What is a fun fact from the trip?
A fun fact from this trip is that we were able to summit twice and participate in Independent Student Group Travel for the last few days of NOLS. Not every group gets to do that and it made our expedition very special. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and one of the most fun things I have ever done.
What is something you wish you had known before you packed your bags?
How challenging it would be to be so far away from home for so long. I guess I knew it was coming, but it did not really hit me that I would be so far away for so long until we were starting NOLS and there was really nothing I could do about it. But, I also wish I knew how much it would teach me and how I would grow during Lehigh Launch as an individual and team player.
Adam Zimmerman ’26
Major: Engineering
Hometown: Lititz, PA
What drew you to Lehigh Launch?
The opportunity to go on a three-week backpacking trip with NOLS in Wyoming was very enticing.The opportunity to spend my first semester in college in such a unique environment was too good to pass up.
What did you like most about Lehigh Launch?
NOLS was the highlight of the semester for me. I had never gone backpacking before but it was on my bucket list. Another highlight of the program was the close relationships I developed with the other students in the program.
What was the most valuable thing you learned?
Don’t take things for granted. Coming from the East Coast, I never thought about how much water I used on a daily basis, but living in the West and seeing how valuable water is there really opened my eyes to what people from that region of the country are dealing with.
What is a fun fact from the trip?
Hiking five miles without a 50 pound pack on is a whole lot different than hiking five miles with a 50 pound pack on.
What is something you wish you had known before you packed your bags?
Don’t be nervous about anything. It was one of the best experiences of my life.