HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Why Journey?
Eldredge says, ‘The soul longs for passion, for freedom, for life.’ 

At St Alban’s, we view it as a privilege and core responsibility to enable young men to understand who they truly are; to help them find their essence and to gain confidence in authentic expression. Participating in this 400-kilometer epic through some of the most rugged and picturesque terrain in the country offers many benefits, from a sense of adventure, to greater self-awareness and a deeper understanding of individual strengths and weaknesses. Beyond personal growth, the sincere appreciation of friends, family and daily comforts is trumped only by the unbreakable bonds formed with fellow travellers. 

During Journey, boys become more open to helping others, develop an admiration for nature and have first-hand experience in solving problems, including navigating the impact of difficult team members. Pushing beyond their comfort zones, they develop leadership skills that will stand them in good stead for years to come.

Lasting Impact

While the young men eventually reach a physical destination, they will realise that their emotional and spiritual journey has only just begun. Each returns to the College with a new, vibrant sense of independence, along with a deeper understanding that they are who they are because of others – the spirit of ‘Ubuntu’ is embedded without having to be defined. 

Every pupil takes his own lessons from this experience, having written a letter to himself which he will open exactly one year later. The challenge? To see if he has put into practice any of what he promised himself. For all, it is a revealing exercise that either affirms the progress made, or highlights where they are not living up to their stated goals.

Origins

Journey was inspired by the ‘Somerset Trek’ and designed for St Alban’s by David Goodwin, an Old Albanian with extensive experience in education and a passion for youth development. Having worked as an English and Life Orientation teacher, his own call to adventure saw him take a sabbatical and travel through India, Nepal, SE Asia and Eastern Europe. After discovering the developmental power of his personal travel experience, he was approached by St Alban’s College to investigate the possibility of setting up a journey of self-discovery for the school. It has been a highlight of his teaching career to steward young men through the transformational adventure of finding out who they truly are, readying them to succeed in life beyond their school years.  

Ultimately the St Alban’s Journey is all about caring for the souls of young men and about raising a generation that will begin to see the immense potential in themselves and the community around them. God willing this Journey leaves the majority of them with genuine friends, with memories that will touch the heart and with experiences that will give their lives meaning and ultimately guide them into the future.

Boys, ultimately, want to know whether they have what it takes to be a man. Until a man knows he is a man, he will forever be trying to prove he is one, while at the same time shrinking from anything that reveals he is not.

St Alban’s aims to challenge these comfort zones that we naturally bed down in. We aim to make our young men feel uncomfortable in a number of situations that will challenge them and ultimately help them understand themselves a little better.