Growing up active<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sweeney got the inspiration to hike the trail from growing up in an active family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think it sort of was just slowly integrated into my brain,\u201d Sweeney says. \u201cMy parents always took me hiking and we went backpacking a few times and did nearly everything outdoors, so I think the idea just slowly built up over time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although her parents\u2019 adventurous spirit first motivated her to take on the Appalachian, Sweeney says they were initially hesitant at the idea of her spending five months hiking alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey didn\u2019t want me to start by myself, which I totally understood,\u201d Sweeney says. \u201cBut it\u2019s hard to ask someone to put their life on pause and go backpacking with you for five months.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, eventually, her parents came around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe realized it\u2019s a very well populated trail,\u201d Sweeney says. \u201cEventually, they came to terms with me doing it by myself. We learned it is also very common for thru hikers to start by themselves and quickly form groups and friends to hike with. And, if they ever had any concerns, I loved to tell them that it was their fault that they raised me this way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over the course of five months, Sweeney hiked approximately 2,190 miles through 14 states \u2014 starting at Springer Mountain, Georgia all the way to Mount Katahdin, Maine. Every three days or so the trail connected to a neighboring town, allowing Sweeney and the other hikers to stock up on supplies and stay the night at a hostel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She used a small satellite phone to keep in touch with family and friends. For the most part however, it was just her and the other hikers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From having to put on wet socks each morning to the physical demand of hiking the White Mountains \u2014 the experience was not without its challenges. Still, Sweeney says the trail had many high points to look back on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe section in Virginia was just super beautiful,\u201d Sweeney says. \u201cAnd I\u2019m from Virginia so a lot of the places I grew up hiking, getting to re-hike those sections were super special to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before embarking on the trip, Sweeney accepted her admission to the Wilson College for the following year. This allowed her to focus fully on the experience without the distraction of applying to college. Still, the time off made for a tricky transition her first year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was really excited to go to college, but it\u2019s definitely been a big change.\u201d Sweeney says. \u201cHaving to learn how to study again and do homework and have a schedule is like a whole new world now because I basically took a year and a half off of school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n Sweeney says keeping busy and active helped her acclimate to NC State. Hiking the Appalachian also taught her valuable life lessons, including self sufficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHiking the trail has given me independence, and so I\u2019m very comfortable walking around campus by myself. I\u2019m used to being independent now and know how to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not only did the hike prepare Sweeney for college independence, but it also strengthened her confidence in her degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhile I was hiking the trail it just really reaffirmed my passion for textiles and how you can apply it to Since coming to the Wilson College, Sweeney has also gotten involved with the water polo team at NC State as well as Reformed University Fellowship and the cycling team. She envisions a career designing outdoor textiles, like those she relied on during her trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe hike made me focus more on the materials rather than just how a product might look,\u201d Sweeney says. \u201cJust like learning about the nitty gritty details, like why a designer specifically chose to do this style instead of the other one is a super interesting concept.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After five months hiking, it seems Sweeney already has experience that will help her future ambitions. <\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n By Elyse Boldizar <\/p>\n\n\n\n For most, a five-month solo hike is a daunting task, but for Eliza Sweeney, it was a welcome challenge. A first-year student studying fashion and textile design<\/a> with a concentration in textile design<\/a>, Sweeney took a gap year before coming to the Wilson College of Textiles to hike the Appalachian Trail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sweeney got the inspiration to hike the trail from growing up in an active family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think it sort of was just slowly integrated into my brain,\u201d Sweeney says. \u201cMy parents always took me hiking and we went backpacking a few times and did nearly everything outdoors, so I think the idea just slowly built up over time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although her parents\u2019 adventurous spirit first motivated her to take on the Appalachian, Sweeney says they were initially hesitant at the idea of her spending five months hiking alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey didn\u2019t want me to start by myself, which I totally understood,\u201d Sweeney says. \u201cBut it\u2019s hard to ask someone to put their life on pause and go backpacking with you for five months.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, eventually, her parents came around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe realized it\u2019s a very well populated trail,\u201d Sweeney says. \u201cEventually, they came to terms with me doing it by myself. We learned it is also very common for thru hikers to start by themselves and quickly form groups and friends to hike with. And, if they ever had any concerns, I loved to tell them that it was their fault that they raised me this way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over the course of five months, Sweeney hiked approximately 2,190 miles through 14 states \u2014 starting at Springer Mountain, Georgia all the way to Mount Katahdin, Maine. Every three days or so the trail connected to a neighboring town, allowing Sweeney and the other hikers to stock up on supplies and stay the night at a hostel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She used a small satellite phone to keep in touch with family and friends. For the most part however, it was just her and the other hikers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From having to put on wet socks each morning to the physical demand of hiking the White Mountains \u2014 the experience was not without its challenges. Still, Sweeney says the trail had many high points to look back on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe section in Virginia was just super beautiful,\u201d Sweeney says. \u201cAnd I\u2019m from Virginia so a lot of the places I grew up hiking, getting to re-hike those sections were super special to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before embarking on the trip, Sweeney accepted her admission to the Wilson College for the following year. This allowed her to focus fully on the experience without the distraction of applying to college. Still, the time off made for a tricky transition her first year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was really excited to go to college, but it\u2019s definitely been a big change.\u201d Sweeney says. \u201cHaving to learn how to study again and do homework and have a schedule is like a whole new world now because I basically took a year and a half off of school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sweeney says keeping busy and active helped her acclimate to NC State. Hiking the Appalachian also taught her valuable life lessons, including self sufficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHiking the trail has given me independence, and so I\u2019m very comfortable walking around campus by myself. I\u2019m used to being independent now and know how to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not only did the hike prepare Sweeney for college independence, but it also strengthened her confidence in her degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhile I was hiking the trail it just really reaffirmed my passion for textiles and how you can apply it to Since coming to the Wilson College, Sweeney has also gotten involved with the water polo team at NC State as well as Reformed University Fellowship and the cycling team. She envisions a career designing outdoor textiles, like those she relied on during her trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe hike made me focus more on the materials rather than just how a product might look,\u201d Sweeney says. \u201cJust like learning about the nitty gritty details, like why a designer specifically chose to do this style instead of the other one is a super interesting concept.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After five months hiking, it seems Sweeney already has experience that will help her future ambitions. <\/p>\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Meet Eliza Sweeney, a first-year student studying fashion and textile design who spent five months hiking the Appalachian Trail.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":34880,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"displayCategoryID\":502,\"caption\":\"\"}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[742,502,496],"tags":[2201,1875,601,1382],"displayCategory":{"term_id":502,"name":"Student Success","slug":"student-success","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":502,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":378,"filter":"raw"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"![\"\"](\"https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100446\/8-1024x1024.jpg\")
Big challenges, beautiful views<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100445\/4-or-5-1024x768.jpg\")
The trick of transitioning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/tex-cloud-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/textiles-ncsu\/20231108100445\/2-225x300.jpg\")
Applying it to textiles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/s>everything.\u201d Sweeney says. \u201cFor example, backpacking is so detailed with all the different fabrics and materials, which I think is fascinating.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nGrowing up active<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Big challenges, beautiful views<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The trick of transitioning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Applying it to textiles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/s>everything.\u201d Sweeney says. \u201cFor example, backpacking is so detailed with all the different fabrics and materials, which I think is fascinating.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n