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“Now, she has arrived! In more ways than one. She left for the winter wilderness 5 months ago, an acorn in one hand, an axe in the other. She has plunged full-bodied into icy Canadian waters, skied, trekked, climbed, camped, caved, paddled, rowed, hiked, and biked. She has gathered in the company of 12 other remarkable students, sharing their creative minds and adventurous spirits. Collectively, these experiences have transformed moments of situational self-doubt, physical discomfort and bone-burrowing fatigue into anchored pride, a unique sense of self, a love for her bare feet in contact with earth.”

– Semester Parent

Graduating semester students join a close-knit network of alumni who hold at their core values of environmental stewardship, community, and social justice.

Many alumni return to Kroka as teaching apprentices, seasonal guides, and year-round staff. Others take the semester experience as a stepping stone toward higher education in fields including environmental science, forestry, human ecology, art, biology, nursing, political science, engineering, and many others. Whatever their path, our alumni reflect on their semester experience as instrumental in their identity, values and understanding of the natural world.

Exclusive scholarships for semester graduates

Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina is attended by many Kroka graduates. The College offers a $4,000 annual community engagement and leadership scholarship ($16,000 over four years) to semester graduates whom we recommend to them.

College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine offers a $10,000 scholarship ($40,000 over four years) towards annual tuition for all Kroka semester graduates whom we recommend to them.

Sterling College in Craftsbury Common, Vermont offers a $10,000 scholarship ($40,000 over four years) towards annual tuition for all Kroka semester graduates whom we recommend to them.

Prescott College in Prescott, Arizona offers a $1000 scholarship towards tuition, plus guaranteed admission and transfer of all Kroka semester credits for all eligible Kroka semester graduates whom we recommend to them.

Other Colleges & Universities Attended by Kroka Alumni

Bates College • Bard College at Simon’s Rock • Bennington College • Berea College • Binghamton University • College of the Atlantic • College of Wooster • Colorado College • Cornell University • Dickinson College • Emerson College (UK) • Evergreen College • Goddard College • Greenfield Community College • Green Mountain College • Guilford College • Hampshire College • Ithaca College • Johnson State College • Kenyon College • Lewis and Clark • Macalester College • Marlboro College • Middlebury College • Montana State University • Mount Holyoke College • Naropa University • Northland College • Oberlin College • Prescott College • Reed College • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute • River Valley Community College • Rhode Island School of Design • Skidmore College • Smith College • Southern Vermont College • Sterling College • St. John’s College Santa Fe • University of Massachusetts Amherst • University of Maine • University of New Hampshire • University of Vermont • University of St. Andrews in Scotland • Vermilion Community College • Warren Wilson College • Quest University (Canada) • Schumacher College (UK) 

OTHER PATHWAYS ENJOYED BY KROKA ALUMNI

Some Kroka Semester Graduates do not feel ready or who do not wish to attend college. Here are some of the other paths they have gone down.

Other semester and year-long programs:

Carpentry related apprenticeships and courses:

Other apprenticeships:

Pursue a profession in the outdoors:

Train as an educator:

Community service focused volunteer opportunities and work:

Conservation opportunities:

Other volunteer opportunities including farming: 

And many more that don’t fit into boxes:

More ideas can be found at Off-Trail Learning

Alumni Spotlights

Olympia Fisher, 2016 Semester Alumni

“One of the more valuable skills I have gained from semester is the power to not just live but embrace and remain calm in uncertainty… The beauty of the expedition lifestyle and semester is that you never know what lies around each corner. You can spend weeks as a group planning routes, getting gear ready and packing meals, all to set off and have a wrench thrown in your plan. And then you adapt and respond and move on, reflecting later on how to prepare better. At first I found this frustrating that nothing was following our perfect plans, but that’s just how the world works and over time our group became accustomed to not let these hiccups bother us… I see the COVID-19 pandemic kind of like being on an expedition in the way that there is so much uncertainty. From semester I’ve learned that that is ok, to just embrace the uncertainty and see where it will take me.”

Griffin Harvey, 2017 Semester Alumni

“One of the most important aspects of semester was the close-knit and intimate community. Living in a close-knit community nourished and fulfilled a deep need for recognition, human connection and interaction that I had felt for years prior to the semester. I learned a lot by living in close proximity and interdependence with others, and this time specifically illuminated the importance of clear communication in maintaining healthy relationships. Another lasting impression has been my strong value for community-centered living, which has influenced my choices moving forward. In particular, I was inspired to pursue higher education at Warren Wilson College, a small, mostly self-sufficient work college which thrives on community relationships and strong work ethic.”

Lara Weise, 2014 Semester Alumni & and Kroka summer staff member

“Before I took part in the Andean Peaks Semester program, I was falling into the habit of doing what everyone around me did and not really following my own path… During the semester I learned how to be with myself and I learned my strengths, weaknesses and what I was really interested in. Opportunities and experiences on my semester have helped show me my path to farming and the restorative way of farming that I am passionate about.”