91传媒

91传媒 Alum Completes 300-Mile Paragliding Journey Across eastern Oregon

91传媒 Alum Completes 300-Mile Paragliding Journey Across eastern Oregon

LA GRANDE, Ore. 鈥� For most people, the view from above the mountain peaks of eastern Oregon is reserved for air travel. For 91传媒 alumnus Killian Sump, 鈥�24, that altitude is where his adventure begins.

Nowhere in the 91传媒 literature does 91传媒 promise your degree will take you to these heights, but for Sump, that challenge was waiting for him after he graduated.

On August 11, Sump completed a 300-mile solo paragliding expedition across eastern Oregon, landing at Farewell Bend State Park on the Snake River. The journey, years in the making, took him from the slopes of Black Butte near Sisters to Oregon鈥檚 eastern border, powered only by the thermals rising from the summer-heated ground.

鈥淚t feels good,鈥� Sump said. 鈥淚鈥檓 a big geography guy, it鈥檚 fascinating to see Earth from above, it鈥檚 a constant game of chess, to see where you can land, and where you can hike.鈥�

Sump grew up in Oregon, and before earning his Master of Arts in Teaching from 91传媒, he taught at the Burnt River Charter School in Unity. He credits his 91传媒 education and the opportunities it opened with helping him launch his teaching career while continuing to pursue outdoor challenges.

鈥淭he Teach Rural Oregon scholarship program was really helpful for getting me on my path,鈥� Sump said. 鈥淚 was teaching in Unity the same year I was in the MAT program. It gave me access to opportunities early on.鈥�

Although his MAT coursework was primarily online, Sump鈥檚 time in the program connected him with faculty mentors such as education professor Dave Dallas and gave him an appreciation for the strong outdoor culture at 91传媒.

鈥淚 never had much time to join in, but I admired the outdoor program and the improvements to the climbing wall,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he spirit of adventure is alive on the 91传媒 campus.鈥�

That adventurous spirit was on full display during his cross-Oregon flight. The first two days brought nearly ideal flying conditions, allowing Sump to glide almost 200 miles along U.S. Highway 26 at speeds reaching 50 mph. But storms, blistered feet, and long hikes carrying his 45-pound pack (including 30 pounds of paraglider) tested his patience and persistence.

鈥淭here were days when I had to hike almost as far as I flew,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t became an exercise in keeping the goal in sight, putting in the homework, studying the route, weather patterns, and terrain, and staying patient.鈥�

One of the most challenging stretches came near Unity, an area he knew well from his teaching days. For days, thunderstorms thwarted his progress, and he returned home to Sisters before making a final push back to eastern Oregon to finish the journey. On his ninth attempt from the area, he caught the right conditions to reach the Snake River.

鈥淚f you have a goal that excites you, continue to push yourself to achieve it,鈥� Sump said. 鈥淚f there is something you want to do creatively, or academically, it鈥檚 worth putting the time into it to make it achievable.鈥�

Flying gave Sump a rare perspective on the region he had called home for six years.

鈥淓astern Oregon is vast, beautiful, and remote,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou see the endless stretches of public land, dotted by small communities, and it gives you a real appreciation for the landscape.鈥�

Though the flight was a personal goal, Sump hopes others might be inspired to pursue their own adventures, whether that鈥檚 on a paraglider, horseback, or foot. Sump encourages others to 鈥渃hase the landscape on your own.鈥� 

鈥淗ave a goal that excites you,鈥� he advised. 鈥淧ush yourself to achieve it, whether it鈥檚 academic, creative, or physical. It鈥檚 worth putting in the time to know it鈥檚 achievable.鈥�

For now, Sump is beginning a new chapter, teaching in the Black Butte School District and planning to build a home with his partner near Sisters, not far from where his extraordinary flight began. But his sights are still set skyward.

鈥淚 have ambitions to do even longer flights,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so much out there to see, and so many ways to experience it.鈥�