Despite having lived in the shadows of North America’s tallest peak and its deepest river gorge, Dr. Dottie Shuman instantly fell in love with Montreat, North Carolina.
“I’ve lived in some amazing places, but to have a place where you can walk out the door and start hiking is amazing,” she said.
Shuman’s story is as vibrant as the landscapes she has explored and the students she has inspired for nearly three decades. From a young girl in upstate New York with a passion for nature to a beloved professor at Montreat College, Shuman is set to retire at the end of the 2024-25 academic year. Her journey is a powerful testimony of the transformative impact of faith and a deep connection between creation and the Creator.
Her love for the outdoors began in high school during a nature hike that would change the course of her life.
“In 10th grade, I knew I wanted to be a park ranger,” she remembered. “That hike opened the world of nature to me and a hope to share it with others.”
Her newfound passion led her to Cortland State University in New York to pursue a degree in Recreation with Nature Interpretation. Her career as a park ranger began with an internship on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal just outside Washington, DC. After graduation, Shuman landed her first job at the same historic canal in Great Falls, Maryland.
Like many park rangers, she embraced the seasonal nature of her work, which perfectly suited her adventurous spirit. In the winters, she taught downhill skiing in Colorado, while her summers were spent working in parks across the country. Eventually, she made her way to Alaska, where she worked at Denali National Park and for the U.S. Forest Service, sharing the natural history of the Southeast region of Alaska aboard the Alaska State Ferries.
As she approached her 30s, Shuman decided to pursue an advanced degree to share her love for nature through teaching at the college level.
“My thought was I’m never going to get married and I’m never going to have children, so I’m going to go back to school so I’ll become a professor and use my experience to inspire college students,” she said. “I was not a believer during that whole time, so you can imagine what a transient, off-color life I had.”
She enrolled at Penn State University, where she earned her master’s degree and met her future husband, who would profoundly influence her spiritual journey.
“Through Mr. Shuman’s letters to me in Alaska, I learned about the love that can only come from Jesus,” she recalled.
From there, their relationship blossomed, leading to a long-distance romance that eventually brought them together at Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, located at the junction of eastern Oregon, western Idaho, and a small portion of eastern Washington. As the only two employees at a very remote site, their love grew for one another.
“When we planned our marriage, I hadn’t accepted Jesus, but my husband-to-be was confident that Jesus was going to get a hold of me,” she said.
After their marriage in Hells Canyon, Shuman completed her PhD nearby at the University of Idaho and gave birth to two children. Despite her initial resistance to faith, she ultimately accepted Jesus and began a small Bible study in her home. It was during this study that she met Heidi Osler, a graduate and a former admissions counselor at a small Christian college nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.
With two young children and a desire to be closer to family, Shuman and her husband started exploring opportunities on the East Coast. Soon after, Heidi mentioned a job opening at Montreat College, and Shuman applied. Although she had only been a believer for a short time, she felt drawn to the college.
“I had all my paperwork ready, but I had to write my philosophy of Christian higher education, and I had only been a believer for about two years, so that was a challenge,” she admitted.
Shortly after submitting her application, Shuman received a call from Ben Fortson, an early leader in Montreat’s Outdoor Education program. During their conversation, Shuman was struck by his genuine interest in her faith.
“It was just so amazing to me because they were interested much more in my heart than my qualifications,” she said. “All the other places where I had interviewed wanted to know about my research and my PhD, but Montreat wanted to know about my relationship with Jesus.”
Following the phone interview, Shuman was invited to visit campus. She planned to be in Montreat on a Friday, but on Monday, she received an unexpected call from her mom.
“She said that my dad was probably not going to make it through the night, so I flew home to New York, and he passed away on my flight,” she reflected. “My family was not a family of believers, so Montreat immediately became my family. They were the people praying for me while I was dealing with my dad’s death. I came to Montreat after the memorial service for my interview.”
From Montreat, she flew to Maine for another interview before returning to New York to be with her mom, who mentioned that she was considering a move herself.
“If you get that job in North Carolina, I’m going to move there,” her mother promised.
“While I was there visiting, I got an offer at both places, and it was such a God-directed choice for me and my family to come to Montreat,” Shuman said.
Over the past 29 years at Montreat, Shuman has built a remarkable and impactful teaching career, blending her love for nature with her faith story. Her mission at Montreat has been to demonstrate how environmental stewardship and faith are deeply intertwined. While she admitted that some initially viewed her as a “tree hugger,” Shuman has witnessed a significant shift in her students’ perspectives over the years.
“I came from this somewhat radical environmental position, but when I began to understand creation from God’s perspective, I realized that caring is a Christian thing to do. I enjoy opening students’ eyes to creation, who God is, and the importance of caring for His creation.”
Shuman’s passion for teaching and the outdoors has taken her and her students on countless adventures, from backpacking trips in Bolivia to environmental studies in Alaska, Hawaii, and beyond. She was instrumental in establishing an Environmental Education master’s program at Montreat, which ran for about six years, as well as two summer camping programs for high school students. She also has been a vital part of the Discovery Program, a cornerstone of Montreat’s outdoor education/recreation program.
With her retirement at the end of the 2024-25 academic year; Shuman’s dedication to Montreat College has left a lasting impact, a testament to the passion and commitment she has poured into her calling.
“I just loved to teach, and I loved my students,” she said with a sense of fulfillment. “I couldn’t imagine spending my career in any other way.”