Faces: Jordan Romero
Breaking Records, Changing the World
Jordan Romero takes on the world one peak at a time
by Jacqueline Dobbins ('16)
Walking down the hallway of his elementary school, Jordan Romero noticed a mural. Little did he know that mural would change his life. It depicted the seven summits: Aconcagua in South America, Mount Everest in Asia, Mount McKinley in North America, Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mount Elbrus in Europe, Vinson Massif in Antarctica, and Carstensz Pyramid in Oceania. On that day, 9-year-old Jordan decided that he would climb all seven summits, a big goal for a fourth grader. A year later, he summited Mount Kilimanjaro.
“One down, six to go.”
And finish he did. In 2010, he became the youngest person to climb Mount Everest, and in 2011, he broke the record for youngest climber to complete the seven summits.
Jordan grew up in a California mountain town with an active and outdoorsy family. His dad was an adventure racer, and Jordan spent many years traveling the world with him for his races. That’s where he got his first taste for adventure and travel—the two things he loves most about mountain climbing.
Though the adventure aspect is exhilarating, Jordan cites traveling as the most valuable aspect of his experiences. He was able to use the world as his classroom, seeing other cultures and connecting to people around the globe. His early exposure to poverty gave him a deep sense of gratitude and the motivation to make a difference in the world.
That’s one of the reasons why he came to Westminster. As an avid skier and climber, Jordan was drawn to the mountains and outdoor lifestyle of Salt Lake City. However, it was his passion for the environment that made Westminster, with its atmosphere of progressive thinking and concern for sustainability, the logical choice for college.
Jordan is majoring in environmental studies and hopes to join the nonprofit world to help lift developing countries out of poverty using sustainable methods of acquiring resources. He’s also on a mission to scale the highest peak in each state—money and time allowing. You have to hand it to Jordan: he’s definitely committed.
Track his adventures at jordan-romero.com.
Number of countries visited: 24
Favorite place: “Antarctica. Time doesn’t exist there.”
Books authored: Two: No Summit Out of Sight and The Boy Who Conquered Everest
Toughest climb: Mount McKinley. “It was the hardest and coldest with unpredictable weather.”
About the Westminster Review
The Westminster Review is Westminster University’s bi-annual alumni magazine that is distributed to alumni and community members. Each issue aims to keep alumni updated on campus current events and highlights the accomplishments of current students, professors, and Westminster alum.
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