Raising Montana

An Indirect Route to Success: One UM Student’s Story

By Beth Hammock

John Steelman uses a clinometer to measure the height of a tree in UM’s Lubrecht Experimental Forest. Steelman and his classmates volunteered their time to identify and mark for removal trees damaged by pine beetles.

Nine years ago, John Steelman dropped out of high school. In May, the North Carolina native anticipates graduating from The University of Montana with high honors. Steelman’s studies in forestry have led him to focus on one of the most pressing problems of our time.

“Hydrology is going to be one of the most important issues in the next 100 years, especially in arid areas where we have overtapped our resources,” Steelman says.

Steelman followed a meandering path to UM, attending four different high schools.

“I moved away from home at the end of my junior year of high school and tried to complete my last year while living with a bandmate. I dropped out in January of 2002. Shortly afterward, I started cooking for a living,” Steelman recalls. He later earned his GED.

A love of the outdoors led him to hike most of the Appalachian Trail and the John Muir Trail. Then he was off to Ecuador and Peru, where he studied Spanish for a month. He soon set out backpacking through Central America and Mexico.

“When I finished the backpacking, I was twenty-three and decided I needed to go to school,” Steelman says. “I found Missoula had what I was looking for in outdoor opportunities and education. I moved here and cooked in restaurants for a year, then applied to UM.”

Steelman was accepted to UM on probationary status. He worked hard both in his studies and his restaurant jobs.

“I worked my fingers to the bones the first couple years,” Steelman says. “I didn’t have that many scholarship offers. You have to prove yourself. I’ve gotten many more scholarships this year. I have a little more time for me, which is really nice.”

Steelman spends part of his time with the UM chapter of the Society of American Foresters. He traveled to the society’s national conference the past two years. His association with the society expanded his horizons and shaped his interest in research and sharing knowledge. When he graduates in May, he plans to work for a couple of years, then head to graduate school.

Steelman learned many valuable lessons at UM. He’s more confident in the natural environment. He has more balance in his life, which led him to pick up the guitar again. And he has a deeper understanding of the impact of generosity.

“As a hiker, I hitchhiked at times and depended on other people to help me,” Steelman says. “People who provided scholarships for me did something similar. I think it’s fantastic. I definitely will pay it forward.”

Students received $3.9 million in scholarships through the UM Foundation last year. While scholarship funding helps nearly 2,000 students each year, UM Director of Financial Aid Kent McGowan is working to provide more assistance.

“There are many students, particularly out-of-state students, who do not have enough to cover the cost of school,” McGowan says. “Many students end up getting loans.”

Last year students took out $78 million in loans.

“Students are coming out with substantial debt,” McGowan says. “This makes it more difficult to choose lower-paying public service careers. And it’s more difficult to buy your first home.”

McGowan encourages gifts to the Montana Investment in Character and Knowledge (MICK) Endowed Grant Fund, which provides financial aid for students based on need. The MICK Fund honors Mick Hanson, who retired last June after serving UM for twenty-five years as director of financial aid.