1983 Graduate Returns After 20 Years to Visit and Reflect

Twenty years ago, he was the smallest kid in the program. In 2003, 30-year-old Jonathan Triplett returned to Eckerd Youth Alternatives E-Toh-Kalu near Hendersonville, NC, to reflect on what he says was one of the best years of his life.

In 1983, Jonathan was an active nine-year-old, struggling with his parents’ divorce and problems at school. His mother heard about Eckerd programs as a positive place where boys like Jonathan might work through difficulties and learn through outdoor activities and experiences. He was younger than most other children, but it was a good fit.

“I look back now and remember all the things I got to do here-- backpacking trips, canoeing, things I would never have experienced. It made a difference in my life,” said Jonathan. He remembers fondly a backyard barbecue with EYA founder Jack Eckerd during a trip to Florida.

“What the program does is teach you to interact with other people. When someone has a problem, they work it out without punishment,“ he said.

After exactly one year at Eckerd Youth Alternatives E-Toh-Kalu, Jonathan returned successfully to home, made it through school and attended college. Today, with a wife, a one-year-old son and another child due in 2004, he’s achieving a new goal — his own business as a licensed plumbing contractor.