More than three decades after graduating, Carlos Fulcher, ’90, wanted to recreate that experience. The former NIU gymnast recently organized a weeklong Appalachian Trail adventure that brought together fellow Huskie alumni to hike 100 miles through Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park. “Walking in the flatlands of Northern Illinois is nothing like the Appalachian Trail,” said Genis, who lives in Rockford and retired last year. “Most of us had not met before and we came from different backgrounds, kind of like the people I met at NIU,” Genis said. Looking back, he sees clear connections between his NIU experience and the Appalachian Trail adventure.