Late last month, Ali, our Manager of Development and Communications, departed One Summit, setting sail for a new horizon. From sharing our stories and leading our teams to uplifting Little Warriors, Ali left an unforgettable mark on our OS community. It’s no surprise that her next chapter is teaching, inspiring, and shaping bright futures. While all of us here at One Summit will miss her dearly, we couldn’t be prouder of the path she’s chosen. Before she wrapped up, Ali wrote a final Profile in Resilience to share with our community about her time at One Summit and finding her own healing here. Enjoy her final farewell—a reminder that posttraumatic growth can impact and change us all.
Dear One Summit Community,
Unfortunately, my time with One Summit as a staff member is coming to an end, as I have decided to pursue a new chapter in my career. I am leaving One Summit to begin a new job at the Apple Orchard School in Brookline, Massachusetts, as a teacher – a role where I hope to continue cultivating meaningful connections, growth, and joy, just as I have here.
I was recently asked to describe my time at One Summit in a couple of words, and after some thought, it was obvious. The phrase was “growth and healing”. After my childhood best friend Nora passed away, it took me a while to realize that healing comes not just over time, but from being part of something that encourages you to show up, face the uncomfortable, and share both the challenges and joys of life. Initially, when I joined the One Summit team, I thought my purpose was to help others discover resilience within themselves and grow through the trauma they endured. But as so often happens, I found that in giving support, I was also receiving it and experiencing my own healing through that process.
One Summit gave me a way to describe how I was navigating life after Nora died, something that I couldn’t put my finger on before. My work at One Summit has deepened my understanding of resilience and what it truly means to grow through the pain of watching someone you love face cancer. I often think back to the summer after Nora passed, when I spent my days volunteering on the oncology floor at Children’s Hospital, and others at Dana-Farber, passing out snacks and books to adults in chemotherapy. I was once again face-to-face with the realities of this devastating disease. Yes, it was very hard, but I never really understood why it also made me feel at peace. Only after I arrived at One Summit did I realize that what I had been going through was posttraumatic growth.
Once I began to recognize posttraumatic growth in myself, I started seeing it everywhere in stories and moments around me. One of the most powerful examples during my time at One Summit came through a little warrior named Liam. I first met him at a Climb for Courage in Virginia Beach. He had just recently received chemotherapy and was feeling so nauseous that he spent most of the day sitting quietly on the floor beside his mentor, watching the other kids climb. Despite this, he returned for Climb Higher a couple months later. With gentle encouragement from his mentor Aaron, he faced his fear of heights and made it halfway up the wall – a small but significant victory. And then, at the most recent Climb for Courage in Virginia Beach, I witnessed what One Summit is all about: trust, connection, and shared triumph. With Aaron by his side, Liam climbed all the way to the top. His joy was unmistakable with a big, accomplished smile mirrored perfectly by Aaron’s own. In that moment, I witnessed a young person conquering fear, building resilience step by step, with the steady presence of someone who believed in him. It’s a moment I will carry with me always.
As I step away from working directly with the cancer and Navy SEAL communities, I will carry with me the trust you’ve all shown me. You’ve welcomed me into your lives and allowed me to witness moments of courage, vulnerability, and hope. That generosity has changed me, and I am deeply grateful. The lessons you’ve imparted will shape how I show up in the classroom in September.
With gratitude,
Ali
