Colorado Mesa University (CMU) has welcomed Alec Sica as its new Outdoor Program (OP) Director as of April 2024.
Sica brings with him a wealth of experience in outdoor education, having spent a decade as a guide in Alaska and working in diverse locations such as Chile, Wyoming, Colorado and Antarctica. Hailing from Connecticut, Sica began to pursue his education in business operations and information management at the University of Massachusetts before becoming a guide.
Sica has expressed his surprise at landing the position, admitting he hadn’t expected to get the job initially. He decided to apply after seeing the position on a job board because he wanted to get involved with outdoor education.
“The OP is really an incredible organization from what I’ve seen so far. It’s full of history, full of a lot of really great stories and really quality people,” Sica said.
He also extended his gratitude to OP Assistant Coordinator Lizzy Depew for her role in maintaining continuity during the transition. Sica’s approach to his new role emphasizes understanding the OP, Grand Junction and the Grand Valley as a whole before implementing significant changes.
The students who work at the OP have felt good about Sica so far. During the hiring process, the top two candidates gave presentations to the OP workers and they had the opportunity to ask questions.
“I think everybody’s really happy with Alec [Sica] and the role he’s taken on. The OP has been super busy with us getting ready for our gala. A lot of us have stepped in to help Lizzy [Depew] in the transition. Alec has jumped on board and already has so many really great ideas. For the future of the OP, I am really excited to carry that on with him,” junior ecology and evolutionary biology student Taylor Schmitz said.
The annual OP Gala will be May 10 and the goal is to give students scholarships to earn outdoor certifications. Tickets can be found by following the link in their Instagram bio (@cmuoutdoorprogram) or scanning one of the QR codes on the posters around campus.
Sica has many goals for the future of the OP.
“I would like to see us expand with some of the gear options we have. I’d like to get us downhill ski options and to get mountain bike options and also just generally increased access to students who are running larger and more interesting trips,” Sica said. “We’d like to bring back international trips as well, which used to be a thing before 2020. Overall just instill a culture here of confidence and success and excellence.”
Sica said he loves the outdoor areas around the Grand Valley, and really enjoys the Colorado National Monument. He has also loved riding his bike on the Lunch Loops. He said the bikeability of the area is what really drew him to this place.
“I grew up in the city. I did not grow up in an outdoor centric family or mindset at all. In fact, the first time I did anything outside was my junior year of high school. It was just a really basic hike. I didn’t really engage in the outdoor community well until my college years when I really needed to make a change,” Sica said.
He went on to explain that he always loved to watch videos of people mountain climbing and ice climbing. That passion led him to applying for a job in Alaska, where he found a great community of people that wanted to help him learn in the outdoor environment.
Sica and Depew intend on building capable and confident people through the medium of the outdoors. He said that means they want to take people outside because it helps them learn about themselves.
“The outdoors reveals truly who you are and helps you become the person that you’re meant to be,” Sica said.
Sica encouraged everyone, no matter what their experience level, to join them on trips.
“We’re a community of passionate, caring and kind people that want you to be here. So if you have any interest at all in coming outside, come on a trip with us, come on an outing with us. Our outings are totally free,” Sica said.
