Conversation with a Widji alum- Yoshie Fujimoto Kateada

Alumni Networks Coordinator- Outward Bound

Yoshie Kateada was a camper at YMCA Camp Widjiwagan in 2006.

She shared the following reflection about her Widji experience:

I was a very cautious kid, and at fourteen, there were a lot of things I was afraid of - everything from being away from home to trying new foods. I am sure my fears were a large part of why my mom signed me up for Camp Widjiwagan, a place where I would have to face them.

I remember being so homesick the first night. There was a big capture the flag game, and despite wanting to have fun, I just couldn’t get into it. My lovely counselors, Georgia and Kate, were so patient and kind, and gradually I started to have fun. At first, it was just the card games, but eventually, I carried the big wooden canoe by myself, and I remember feeling SO proud. They told me how strong I was, and I believed them.

I felt a sense of belonging with the other girls that I had never experienced before. I remember going to a presentation on the last night about the big Arctic wilderness expedition that the older campers did, and I was so inspired. Someday, I wanted to be like them.

I worked for Outward Bound for 10 years, leading long wilderness expeditions, and I am certain that those seeds were first sewn at Widji. I left those ten days less scared and more sure of my strength than I had ever been before.  

A few more details about Yoshie-

Tell me about your professional background- 
In my current role as Alumni Networks Coordinator [for Outward Bound], I get to hear stories from alumni and reconnect them to a place and people that had a huge impact on their lives. Just like at Widji, many of our students have never experienced something like their Outward Bound course before. When I was instructing, I always wondered what people thought about their course five, ten, or fifteen years down the road. Now I get to find out! I spend my time talking with alumni, hosting Zoom events, sharing alumni resources, and finding new ways to reconnect with our alumni, students, and staff.

How did you end up in your current position at Outward Bound?
I went on a Voyageur Outward Bound School course in 2016 as a 24-year-old and really enjoyed it. My favorite part was watching the instructors support and mentor me and my crewmates, and I thought, "I want to do that job!" The following summer, I interned at Outward Bound, and the rest is history. I definitely think Widji came to mind as I applied for the internship. I was nervous, and I remember that a part of me regretted not returning to Widji year after year and making my way up to the really epic long trips. I also think that my appreciation for the Boundary Waters started with my Widji trip. I will always remember sitting at one of those pine-carpeted campsites and thinking how lucky I was to be there.

Is there anything else you would like to share?
As a young person, Widji pushed me out of my comfort zone, and it was such a valuable experience. I had never been away from home for that long before, and I went from feeling intimidated to thanking my mom for giving me one of the best experiences of my young life.