Purdue Global faculty member summits Mount Kilimanjaro, inspiring others to complete their own journeys

After earning her PhD and climbing nearly 18,000 feet at Mount Everest in 2018, Heather Sager was eager for the next adventure. However, a new job and a global pandemic delayed those dreams.

Fast-forward to October 2023, and Sager, now an adjunct faculty member in Purdue Global’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, set out to celebrate her birthday by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in October.

Before summiting Africa’s highest peak, Sager, along with her friend Zakiya Vallier, endured nine months of grueling, disciplined training.

“It was kind of a part-time job in itself, but it led to other changes in my life that were healthy and positive,” Sager said. “It was hard for me to say no to chocolate, but it made me really focus on eating healthier and overall holistic health.”

The feat was worth it and provided an opportunity to inspire her students who are “climbing their own mountains” toward earning their degree.

“When I was struggling on Day 2 of the climb, we had a guide who encouraged me to not think about the next amount of days but just focus on right now,” she said. “Take the next step, and then just do that over and over and over.”

Sager drew inspiration from her students, pushing through the challenging times herself by remembering many of the obstacles her own students have faced to reach their goals.

“Students have shared with me some of their struggles — housing, food insecurity, custody battles, unemployment — and they’re just doing so many hard things,” she said. “They just keep plugging along toward completing their degree. It has been very moving and inspiring to me, so I just wanted to channel that along my journey.”

Sager says she came away from this experience grateful and hopes that everyone can show more kindness and gratefulness.

“I wanted to represent Purdue Global,” she said. “I’ve loved my experience teaching here, so I wanted to help inspire my students who have also inspired me.”