Kevin Wesley, associate professor of practice in management, is not one to shy away from an opportunity to stretch his strengths and grow as a leader and team member. It’s something he talks about in his Principles of Management course (MNGT 301H) with the Nebraska Business Honors Academy and an ethos he acquired as a U.S. Navy veteran with 24 years of service.

It’s also what led him to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest freestanding mountain in the world, last summer in Tanzania.

“I just really enjoy adventure. I wanted to go to Africa. I wanted to see the wildlife and the Serengeti and all those things. And I do like to push myself,” said the Dayton, Ohio, native.

It was an adventure a long time in the making for Wesley, who was slowly persuaded by his friend Robert Kay — an avid mountain climber, president of Star City Motors and regular guest speaker in Wesley's classes — to take up the challenge. Wesley brings Kay to speak to his classes as part of an exercise that examines the 1996 Mount Everest disaster and a subsequent case study from Harvard Business.

The segment culminates in lessons on leadership.

“Robert was slowly pushing me to make a climb like this over the years, and eventually, I thought, ’Well, I’m not getting any younger.’”

Wesley trained for months ahead of his nine-day excursion, climbing multiple 14,000-foot mountains in Colorado to adjust his body to the extreme elevations. Then, late in July, Wesley set out with seven others to summit Mount Kilimanjaro.

“It was a bit tougher than I anticipated,” he admits. “We spent over three days between 16,000 and 18,000 feet just to give your body a chance to acclimate, even though it really doesn’t.”

That adjustment period is necessary when it comes time to ascend to the peak, or “varsity day,” as Wesley calls it.

“You wake up at 3 a.m. on summit day and get back to camp at 8 p.m. So, it’s a no-kidding rough day — it’s definitely earned my respect,” he said.

When he did finally summit the mountain, Wesley found himself reflecting on the same values he shares in his classes — being a team player.

“It reinforces that in high-stress situations, you really come to rely on your team members. Everything starts and ends with relationships.”