At 23, Walt Shepard is the oldest student in the Class of 2010. Shepherd has a particularly intriguing reason for his late matriculation at Bowdoin: He is a bi-athlete, and he was training for the Olympics.
And while he has taken a break from full-time training to become a regular college student, Shepard still hopes to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.
"It's been a dream of mine to be in the Olympics," he said.
Shepherd has been skiing since he was two years old but never considered participating in a biathlon?a combination of cross-country skiing and riflery?until he saw the sport on television at age 12. Inspired, he took a beginner's clinic, and then decided to dedicate himself to the sport.
At Yarmouth High School (YHS) in Yarmouth, Maine, Shepherd trained rigorously, eventually earning a spot on the junior national team. He spent his junior year training in Sweden, in a sports academy near the Arctic Circle. Although the rigorous training and distance from home was difficult at first, he came to relish the opportunity to compete against some of the best athletes his age in the world.
"I loved it, and it set me on a path [toward] not only what I want to do in sports, [but also] international business, and the idea of international cooperation," Shepard said.
Shepard graduated from YHS in 2001, but unlike many high school seniors, he did not consider going right to college after graduation. He planned to take one year off to train, but he "got caught up in the beginning of a four-year cycle," which would culminate with the Olympic trials.
Shepard spent the next five years honing his skills. He soon moved up from the U.S. junior team, to development (the intermediate level), to the senior team. He competed in three major events with the Junior World Championship Team from 2001 through 2004, and in the Senior World Championships in 2005.
Shepard emphasized how different the life of a professional athlete was from his normal life. He said it involved "training two times a day, lots of rest, sleeping, eating." He considered it a job, and although he found it to be difficult at times and even "Spartan," he said overall it was "an amazing experience."
Shepard's rigorous schedule required him to sacrifice his social and family life while he trained and traveled, and every decision he made had to be considered in light of his Olympic aspirations.
For the majority of this training, Walt lived in Fort Kent, Maine, home of the national team. He also traveled to various places to compete, including Italy, Poland, Austria, Scandinavia, and several other European countries. Shepherd appreciated that this traveling allowed him to "see the continent as Europeans do, instead of just going to the major tourist destinations." His favorite travel destination was Siberia, because of the enthusiasm for biathlons and the warm reception bi-athletes experienced there.
After four years of intense training, Shepard competed in the Olympic trials in January 2006. In the preceding months he had been "feeling good" about his chances of securing a spot on the team, expecting to compete for one of the last spots.
Ultimately, however, he did not qualify. Shepherd's failure to secure an Olympic bid came as a shock to him at the time, but he said now that he "wouldn't trade the outcome for anything."
Shepard briefly considered continuing his training, but instead he decided that it was time to go to college. He only applied to Bowdoin, and the opportunity to continue skiing was one main factor in his decision.
"I'm working with [Bowdoin ski coach] Marty [Hall] to make to the next Olympic team," he said.
Although he entered college at an older age than most Bowdoin students, Shepard has enjoyed his time here so far and is excited to be back at school. Unlike most first-year students, he does not live in a first-year dorm. However, he was paired with a proctor group during Orientation. He said that he had a great time, and does not feel disconnected from the rest of the first years.
Academically, Shepard is "happy with classes." He did not get into a first-year seminar as he had hoped, but he plans to take one next semester, and he intends to major in economics with a focus on international business.
When Shepard graduates, he anticipates being 27 years old and eager to compete in the 2010 Olympic Games.
Dean Wil Smith enrolled at age 27When Assistant Dean of Student Affairs & Director of Multicultural Student Programs Wil Smith enrolled at Bowdoin as a student in 1996, he was 27 years old. In addition to his age setting him apart from other first-year students, Smith was a father to a 14-month-old girl.
Before starting at Bowdoin, Smith spent seven years on active duty in the military, and he was stationed in Brunswick during some of this time. While in Brunswick, Smith was a coach for the Brunswick High School basketball team, and he became acquainted with Bowdoin Men's Basketball Coach Tim Gilbride. Smith said that Gilbride encouraged him to apply to Bowdoin. Following his discharge in May 1996, Smith enrolled at Bowdoin during the fall of 1996.
During his second semester at Bowdoin, Smith moved to Brunswick Apartments with his daughter, where the two of them lived for the remainder of his time as a student.
Smith said that his experience in the military made it easy for him to relate to a younger peer group.
"Being in the military, you're working side by side with 18 year olds," Smith said. "[You] trust them with your life."
-Mary Helen Miller, Orient Staff