Employees in the outdoor field are disproportionately white and male (OIA, 2023) with racialized staff, women, and nonbinary people having higher rates of employment attrition (Taylor, 2014). Outdoor “pathway programs” represent one solution to address the lack of diversity as they provide resume building experiences for youth to explore their passions and gain marketable skills (Dockry et al., 2022). These programs can address retention concerns by forming a supportive community while simultaneously facilitating deeper connections with nature (Gillard et al., 2014), though few studies have examined their efficacy. To address this gap, this study explored alum experiences from the Pathways into Natural Environments and Science (PINES) Fellowship, specifically related to creation of community and connection to nature. To explore alums’ memories of program experiences, we used a Collective Memory Work methodology (Johnson, 2018) grounded in Black Feminist Theory (Collins, 2000). Data generation occurred through written participant narratives of their memories from the program, followed by a focus group where we collectively analyzed each narrative. Framed in theories around belongingness (Goodman, 2017), communitas (Turner, 2010), and thriving (Love, 2019), results include 1) a discussion of the power of community building as central to the success of the program; 2) participation in an outdoor community as validation of a new “outdoorsy” identity; and 3) “the ripple effect” of bringing new friends into future outdoor endeavors. We end with recommendations for educators and practitioners working toward creating inclusive outdoor spaces through pathways programs.