Testimonials

The following are excerpts from our 2009 evaluations filled out by the parents of Overland students at the conclusion of the summer. Please don't hesitate to contact our office at 800.458.0588 for a list of parent and student references in your area or for program-specific references.

“Greta is as buoyantly happy as I’ve seen her in a long time. I wish I could give Overland a big collective hug for offering her such an amazingly positive experience. Thank you is a completely inadequate word to express how grateful we are that she had so much fun, was kept safe and came out of it seemingly more confident and self-assured. She reports that she feels more ‘fearless’ now.” – Kris Savitsky, Williamstown, Massachusetts

"In addition to being well-run, Overland makes a point of encouraging the qualities we'd all like our kids to adopt—confidence, healthful living, cooperation and responsibility." – Mary McKenna, New York, New York

“I noticed that Reece has been more cooperative, and I commented on it. He replied that he learned about cooperation and teamwork at Overland. Kudos!” – Jocelyn Armstrong, Westport, Connecticut

"Sabar came home in excellent spirits and great shape. I can't remember a time recently when he smiled so much. I feel Sabar was in excellent hands and would without hesitation send him on another Overland trip." – Julia Dasgupta, Princeton, New Jersey

"Overland continues to impress me with the quality, professionalism and overall worth of its programs. Owen's Pacific Coast trip was all and more than we had hoped. Before the start of each trip, I worry that the leaders could never be as good as his prior trip leaders. Each year I am pleased and impressed that his new leaders are just as talented, qualified and wonderful." – Nancy Schumacher, Short Hills, New Jersey

"The leaders have influenced Michael more than any other teacher, camp, counselor, or friend. I feel we were truly blessed to have two fine people enter our son's life. Our expectations were not only met, they were surpassed in every way. The care and dedication of your entire staff was clearly evident every step of the way." – Jonathan & Wendy Waltman, Lexington, Kentucky

“We are tough critics, but we were very impressed by the professionalism and thoughtfulness of every aspect of Overland and the Cape Cod & the Islands.”
– Doug Elmendorf and Karen Dynan, Bethesda, Maryland

“One of the things we like best about Overland is the terrific role models you provide for the students.”– Andrea Ward, Wellesley, Massachusetts

“Each year, Jett has come home more confident in his leadership, physical and team skills. He eats what is served, fixes his own meals and, actually, is nice to his younger sister. If he goes many times, we won’t be able to stand his self-confidence! The young adults you find to lead these programs are truly incredible. I could only dream that my son would grow to be “Overland Leadership” qualified. If he could do that, he can accomplish anything!” – Cindy Lucia, Houston, Texas

“Avery had a fantastic time and soaked up the culture and lifestyle like a sponge! One of our goals was for Avery to learn that there is a great big world out there to explore and that high school is not the end game, rather a stepping stone. Overland helped us achieve that!” – Meg Kelly, Weston, Massachusetts

"Sam returned with a stronger sense of self-reliance, a love of biking and a positive attitude to new experiences."  – Elyssa Neiberg, Highland Park, Illinois

“Luke had a terrific time, enjoyed making new friends and savoring the outdoors.  He is already thinking about which trip to do next summer.” – Dorothy Hodgson, Highland Park, New Jersey

"The Herren family has been sold on Overland since Wood’s first adventure biking in Cape Cod.  He also had a wonderful and enriching experience on Northwest Explorer this past summer.  My wife, who picked Wood up at the airport after his trip still talks about the glow on Wood’s face after his experience in the Pacific Northwest.  He talked about his experience non-stop for weeks.  We think Overland is the greatest thing since sliced bread and look forward to many more trips for Wood and his younger brother Knox who is six years old." – Wood Herren, Birmingham, Alabama

"Zoe loved the European Challenge.  It has been a life-changing experience for her.  Her confidence, self esteem and most importantly her empathy for others has been elevated to a new level by her Overland experience.  She believes she has been to the mountain top.  Perhaps she has." –Mark Kosieradzki, Long Leaf, Minnesota

"I showed Jack the Overland catalog , and he was totally up for the Berkshire Adventure. So, I went on line...still not being so sure I—as mom—was ready for it. Your site put all my concerns to rest. It's really impressive. Not only did it have every possible bit of information I was looking for to put my mind at ease, but it's got the perfect tone/voice balancing professional with personal. It certainly made me feel like I could trust my kid to any one of the many staff you introduced me to via the site. So, I'm sending off the application and check tomorrow. – Amy Elsbree, Washington DC

The following is a letter from a mother of a Rocky Mountain Explorer 2009 student to her son's leaders:

Dear Helen and Corey,

Long overdue, I would like to thank you for your leadership of the 2009 Rocky Mountain Explorer 3B trip.  Dylan had a great time.

Clearly, both of you were a positive influence on Dylan.  Following his trip, he volunteered to run a five-mile leg in a 500-mile relay to raise money for research for a child who had just lost his life to cancer.  It was the first time he had run that distance.  From there, he went online and signed himself up for two triathlons.  Earlier in the summer he had trained a bit for the Overland trip, biking to the town pool, jogging a couple of miles and swimming 20-30 laps, but then he began training in earnest.  He rose at 6:30 a.m. to bike before there were too many cars on the road.  He also began running and swimming greater distances.  Dylan finished both triathlons with very respectable times and is now hooked on the natural high of pushing his body to the limit.

This fall he ran Cross Country and is now on the swim team, although he is doing this more to learn to swim better and keep his pitching arm in shape.  He also got a job at Okemo Mountain as Junior Snowboard Instructor.

It took some convincing on Dylan’s and my part to get my husband to agree to let Dylan go on the Colorado trip.  Dylan had been playing on travel baseball teams since he was nine years old, and I wanted him to experience something different. As I expected, it was a very empowering experience for him.  What I didn’t expect was all that he’s accomplished in the past four months.  (He has also gone online to check out the colleges you’re attending, and he’s made the honor roll for the first time!)

I also wanted to thank you for the lovely follow-up letter you wrote.  Presently, Dylan is applying to an all-boys boarding school and the letter will be a nice addendum.

We are considering another Overland trip—Dylan is interested in the American Challenge—if not this summer, perhaps he can do it before he graduates high school.  I know he would welcome having either of you as leaders once again.

Wishing you the best in all your endeavors,

Donna O’Connor, New Canaan, Connecticut