We are excited to announce that our very own Megan Macomber, Southwest Associate Program Director of Training and Development, received the OBUSA Marina Ewald Award this year for her 20 years of service to COBS.
The Marina Ewald Award honors a staff member who has improved the Outward Bound student experience by courageously approaching problems through the lens of innovation and inclusion. The award is named after the lesser-known educator, sailor, and Instructor who worked alongside Kurt Hahn and led the very first Outward Bound expedition in 1925.
Like Marina, Megan is a talented outdoorswoman and educator who has made significant contributions to our Outward Bound community. She has worked tirelessly to improve the student and staff experience and has changed countless lives.
For our staff, Megan is a role model for leading a life of compassion. Former staff member Ariel Atkins described Megan as someone who “exemplifies compassion to others in every facet of her life. From being a first responder, to serving youth within her community and those from a far, to becoming a home for abandoned dogs. Megan builds community and brings excellence in both her personal and professional lives! She is authentic and brings so much of her personality and self to course and beyond. Once you have met Megan, she cannot easily be forgotten!”
In her 20 years as an Instructor, Megan has also inspired countless students to be authentic, bold leaders. When reflecting on Megan as an instructor, one of her students expressed, “I learned I did not have to choose between living for other people and living for myself. Part of making the world a better place, and loving others, is finding ways for me to be happy and open and sincere about who I am. I learned that from you, because you taught it, and because you showed it.”
When receiving the Marina Ewald award, Megan showed her passion for our mission and our students once more when she donated her award money to the COBS scholarship fund. Megan’s fundraising efforts will support students who want to enroll in our expeditionary programs in 2024. In her own words, she called on the members of the COBS community to “if you can, donate $20 (or more if you can/want) to that same fund to make it possible for a future student to experience an Outward Bound course.”
If Megan has had a profound impact on your life, we encourage you to support her efforts to raise money for our scholarship fund. Donate to Megan’s Scholarship Fund.