Margarita Party for a Defining Moment win!

Today’s guest is Professional Musician Jake Schepps, who specializes in playing the banjo. He also runs a non-profit called Round Window Institute which offers professional development music camps while also publishing banjo tablature for players. The goal is to elevate the five-string banjo beyond its folk music roots.

Jake had also spent many years as a NOLS wilderness medicine instructor. The intention of the program is to teach outdoor skills and leadership skills, primarily to younger people. The students learn how to camp and travel safely, covering everything from planning, execution, and learning to pivot with the environment.

During the summer of 1989, Jake went back to Maine following a “mess explosion” of his first year at college. He spent a lot of time with his high school best friend at his home, and this is where he first encountered a NOLS catalog. At that point, he had never heard about NOLS before.

He was completely entranced by the photos within the catalog, as well as the stories of adventure. This, paired with an eye-opening moment that he didn’t necessarily have to be in college, made him realize he could just drop out. It was then he decided to pursue his outdoor wilderness education with NOLS. Finding this catalog would turn out to be his defining moment.

Jake naturally began to rise above the rest of the group at NOLS—which kind of scared him at first. Feeling seen for his accomplishments gave him a boost in confidence he’d never had before. He never grew up sure of what he wanted to be, but somehow everything he was meant for found him.