Alumni Profiles: Where Are They Now?

Zipline catches up with Adventure Unlimited alumni Cherie Burton, Quinn Heinbaugh, and Chuck Stocking.

After decades on the Adventure Unlimited board of trustees, which encompassed two capital campaigns, Cherie retired, which opened up new avenues for new activities. While she still serves as chairman of her family companies, JMLongyear Heirs, LLC and Superior Mineral Resources, she added a couple of non-profit boards to the others she already serves on, such as Shakespeare on the Sound, created 29 years ago in Rowayton, Connecticut, by a group of friends who knew there was more to life than sports. The group produces a professional show every summer, accompanied by a kids camp and apprentice company. During the year, they supply educational content to schools, libraries, and senior centers, reaching at least 10,000 people annually.

The newer boards on which she serves are The National Trust for Scotland USA Foundation and the American Patrons of the National Library and Galleries of Scotland. 

Cherie’s family life includes her daughter and grandson, plus her sister, nephews, and grandnieces and nephews. Additionally, she serves in her church and participates in her Christian Science Association, all of which bring great support and blessings.

Quinn Heinbaugh

Quinn first attended the A/U Ranches as a family camper in 2005, where he rode horses, canoed around the lake, and hiked to Lesson Rocks. Hooked on high adventure, personal growth, and metaphysical application, he returned as a youth camper in 2007 and attended camp annually for the next 15 years. 

When the opportunity came, Quinn joined the ranks of the A/U Ranches summer staff. Although he performed a variety of roles across multiple programs, he was primarily a mountain biking staff member and eventually became the program head. In this role, he worked to recreate the mountain biking curriculum to emphasize basic riding fundamentals. Later in 2020 and 2021, Quinn had the opportunity to work again at the A/U Ranches and for the 100 Elk Outdoor Center. 

From his early years in the Explorers program to his years leading the mountain biking program, the A/U Ranches and the vast, rugged mountain landscape provided the opportunity for personal and spiritual development. Quinn loved returning to the A/U Ranches because he was always pushed out of his comfort zone. Activities like the ropes course, river rafting, peak climbing, and advanced mountain biking pushed Quinn to turn to God as a source of comfort and strength. Through this, he was able to accomplish more than he could have imagined. With each new challenge came a divinely inspired solution.

As a teen, Quinn participated in many DB Outreach weekends and events and graduated from the DiscoveryBound National Leadership Council (NLC) 2016W class. Though he found the program challenging at first, his perseverance was rewarded with lifelong friendships, profound memories, and exposure to leadership opportunities most high schoolers don’t get. One highlight from Quinn’s NLC experience was preparing and teaching swim lessons for children in Grenada. After graduating from the program, Quinn worked with incoming NLC classes on their first summer trip to the A/U Ranches and has volunteered at multiple NLC All Class Retreats.

Quinn graduated from Principia College in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Originally from California, he currently lives in San Antonio, Texas, and works as a technology consultant for Ernst and Young. He loves running, surfing, climbing, and mountain biking. Despite being unable to commit to full summers at the A/U Ranches, he actively seeks out programs and volunteering opportunities with the A/U Ranches and DiscoveryBound, including NLC.

Chuck Stocking

From the summer of 1955, as one of the handful of very young campers (being 12 years old at the time), to today, the A/U Ranches experience was life-changing and life-directing for Chuck.  

In the first years of his life before camp, Chuck attended a Methodist church and Sunday school, but when he heard of this camp in “cowboy country,” he was sold on attending. He stayed at the A/U Ranches for the whole summer and got a heavy dose of Christian Science and a heavier dose of the wonderful substance it encompassed. Chuck loved it, and it set him on a path of life that has been full of joy – truly an unlimited adventure!

After attending camp for the second year, Chuck became involved with summer sports and wouldn’t attend the A/U Ranches programs until years later for the adult Bible Study program.

The principles and values learned at the A/U Ranches and subsequently at Principia College have been foundational to his experience as a corporate lawyer with a public company, subsequently when doing “turn-around” consulting, and eventually in the ownership of a manufacturing company in Ohio. 

Partnering in business with his wife, Carol, has also been a wonderful experience and has taken the pair all over the world. His adventurous experience at camp also prepared Chuck for engaging in world-service projects, primarily focused on economic and humanitarian development in Central America, Africa, and East Asia. All of this would not have been possible without the Christian Science foundation that guided Carol and Chuck in supporting their family of three children and establishing a manufacturing enterprise with a host of associates.

Today, Carol and Chuck are so grateful to the A/U Ranches and DiscoveryBound National Leadership Council for the opportunity to work with and support teens.