My name is Taylor Rezek. I was a former wingate student at the end of 2017 to the beginning of 2018. I was sent to Wingate at the age of 16 after an arrest. I was the walking definition of an at risk teen. Coming from a broken home, drug abuse, theft, trouble in school, and overall risky behavior; Wingate saved my life. I cannot express how much this program has positively impacted my life. The first day I arrived, while I was resistant to change, I couldn’t help but also feel like I was saved from a hole I would never be able to get out of on my own. Wingate gave me the tools to face adversity with grace and perspective that I don’t think I would have learned without this program. With all the gratitude in the world I give thanks to the amazing staff, the therapists, the wilderness, and the unprecedented natural consequences of the great outdoors. Wingate was one of the biggest challenges of my life but also the most gratifying experience I would never have imagined. From the philosophy to the daily structure and hard hikes. It wasn’t easy, although, like a sword in the hands of a blacksmith, I forged a strong sense of self and a beautiful perspective on interpersonal relationships that has allowed me to persevere through life beautifully. The greatest gifts that Wingate shared with me was community, trust in myself, and the lesson that life is not easy but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Ever since graduating the winter I spent in the Grand Escalante I dreamed of the day I would come back to work there. The year 2022 came around and I was preparing for my first shift in October to become a field guide. During my first shift I felt like I was finally home and I felt a great sense of fulfillment that, as a former student, I was able to give back and contribute to something so much bigger then myself. To watch other teens and young adults rediscover themselves in the vast and unforgiving wilderness along side the most loving staff, words can not do it justice. A long awaited dream come true, although short lived as I recently received news that Wingate will be closing in September 2023. To receive this news I can say that it feels like I lost a parent and is one of the greatest heart breaks of my life. I’m left questioning why Wingate, a place that has positively impacted so many lives, could be considered expendable. In the midst of all this grief, I have faith that this is not the end of Wingate because I believe that if the mental health industry really cares about the recovery of its clients these testimonies can’t be left unseen. With all the love in my heart I thank you for taking the time to read my story,
Taylor Rezek
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