When they reached Kilimanjaro’s summit, Uhuru Peak, at 19,341 feet, they dropped to their knees, tears streaming down their faces.

“We were all crying,” recalled Menelik Duey. “It was a completely emotional moment when you realize what it took to get to this point. It was a great sense of accomplishment.”

“It was such a surreal experience,” recalled Levit. “It was such a moment of humanity to witness everyone so happy, crying, fist-pumping, high-fiving, and hugging. It was peak, no pun intended, happiness.” 

A bucket list trip

Menelik, an applied molecular biology and biotechnology major in the College of Health Sciences and a UD World Scholar, and Markos Duey, an honors mechanical engineering major with a concentration in aerospace in the College of Engineering, said their father always dreamed of climbing the fourth most prominent peak in the world after his grandfather gifted him Ernest Hemingway’s Snows of Kilimanjaro. They’ve not read the book themselves — they didn’t have to.

“The way my dad talks about it, it’s like we’ve read the book,” Menelik Duey said. “He’s always instilled a sense of adventure in us.”

Mt. Kilimanjaro is often referred to as “the roof of Africa.” 

“Our dad described this trip as a way for us to embrace our commitment to our background and our history in Africa,” said Menelik Duey, whose mother hails from Ethiopia. 

He was always putting the idea in their ears.

“Eventually, we decided we should stop talking about it and just do it,” Markos Duey said. 

In January, the Duey brothers set out with their father, Marc Duey, their younger sister, Menelik’s roommate, Jonathan Levit, an environmental science major in UD’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, and a handful of others.

The journey took them across five ecological zones, each with varying elevation and weather conditions. It began in the rainforest, surrounded by thick and lush forestry. 

“You have to be prepared for everything,” Menelik Duey said. “It could rain at any moment.”

After day one, everyone was excited to reach the campsite.

“We finally made it,” said Menelik Duey, unaware of what would come. 

The next day, morale was lower as reality set in: This was only day two of eight.  

“The first day felt like a hike through Valley Forge National Park,” Levit said. “The second day was a beast. No elevation in the Northeast prepares you for Kilimanjaro.” 

In the following days, the group was exhausted and sometimes doubted they’d make it. 

“Our health had greatly deteriorated due to altitude sickness; some had no appetite; others had nausea and headaches,” Menelik Duey said. “Since I’m the older sibling, I felt like I should lead the way, go the farthest, and carry the load, but when I started feeling the effects of altitude sickness, I questioned our chances of summiting.” 

But that feeling when they reached the top made it all worth it.  

“It surpassed my father’s dream,” Markos Duey said.  

When asked whether they’d do it again, they initially resounded with an excruciating “No!” 

“We did our time and were done,” Menelik Duey said.

But now that some time has passed …

“I’d be open to it,” he said with a smile.

Drawing parallels

As Markos Duey prepares for his senior year, he draws parallels between his journey to climb Kilimanjaro and his academic journey at UD. During the climb, guides often used the phrase “pole pole” — which means slowly, slowly in Swahili — to encourage hikers.

“But it also means keep going,” Markos Duey said. “That translates to life, and when you have daunting goals like getting your degree or climbing this massive mountain, if you put one foot in front of the other and move slowly, you’ll reach your goal. Both journeys have been all about uplifting and supporting people to reach their goals.”

Levit, who will work as a climate change consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers post-graduation, likened climbing Kilimanjaro to the challenges he faced entering UD during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Going to UD through COVID taught me to be flexible, open-minded and resilient in the face of an uphill battle,” Levit said. “UD led me to hike the roof of Africa with my best friend, which I never expected as a masked freshman in the dining hall.” 

For Menelik Duey, summiting Kilimanjaro came at the perfect time. He had just applied to a dozen Ph.D. programs, and the process filled him with doubt. But climbing Kilimanjaro instilled him with confidence. 

“My view on what I can do as an individual and with a team was forever altered,” he said. “No goal seems too lofty if you have support and take it step by step.” 

He returned to UD for his final semester with vigor and the motivation to make the most of the time he had left on campus. Soon, he’ll start a position as a research specialist at the Center for Cellular Immunotherapy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. 

“Summiting Kilimanjaro proved that I can accomplish great things when I put my mind to it and trust the process,” Menelik Duey said.