A Legacy of Friendship
After more than 30 years apart, what could compel a group of college friends to reunite – not just for a homecoming tailgate or a sports bar telecast party -- but to climb the tallest free-standing mountain on the African continent? A brotherhood forged at DePauw University in the early 1990s and a belief that this unbreakable bond could have a positive influence on our world even beyond death.
When Henry Najdeski ’93 was killed in a tragic accident in 2023, waves of loss, vivid memories, and a need to solidify his legacy reverberated throughout his community. Henry had attended Fort Wayne’s Canterbury School with scholarship support, and -- with substantial donations from his law firm, family, friends, and colleagues – the beloved high school where he served as a trustee established a scholarship in his name. The effort, which included silent auctions and other fundraising endeavors, ensures that Henry’s legacy – along with the son and daughter and many loved ones who carry his memory -- will be the Henry Najdeski Scholars.
An Expedition for Educational Opportunity
Word of the tribute rippled through the DePauw University and Beta fraternity networks until it caught the attention of Brad Clement ’93, a professional mountain guide and adventure filmmaker. Brad wondered what he could do to honor his friendship with Henry and the gentle man’s positive impact on all who knew him. Brad put the call out to his and Henry’s Beta brothers from DePauw to determine if any of them would be interested in a mountain climbing expedition to raise funds for Henry’s scholarship.
For Brad, the 2025 summit of Kili was his 20th climb up the towering, dormant volcano. For the eight men he guided, it was their first and possibly only time scaling a mountain. What could possibly drive these regular Joes to trade in their suits, ties, scrubs, and laptops for crampons, ice axes, and a 50-mile climb up one of the world’s highest peaks?
It might help to know more about Henry.
His colleagues, friends, and family say Henry was an amazing lawyer, yes, but more importantly he was a proud and doting dad, a community-minded man who served on the boards of the Questa Education Foundation, the YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne, and Erin’s House for Grieving Children. He sent email blasts at his law firm to celebrate the achievements of his associates. A first-generation American son of Macedonian immigrants, Henry was an enthusiastic storyteller with a quirky sense of humor and a golfer with a famously wild swing. His DePauw Beta fraternity brothers called him Hank.
It might help to know more about Brad.
With his booming voice and eye-sparkling smile, Brad exudes some of the same qualities that many have attributed to Henry – kindness, enthusiasm, genuineness. Brad is a man who believes – and proved quite early – that the DePauw experience could be just as effective at building a passionate, outside-the-box career as it has been at developing more traditional leaders in nearly every field imaginable. He is a man that believes the friendships forged during a pivotal four-year period on the cusp of adulthood on a special college campus in a quiet midwestern town could carry nine friends over a mountain of grief toward a legacy of dreams.
A Mountain of Brotherhood
So in February of 2025, Brad and seven other DePauw alumni, all Beta members, (plus one of their teen sons) arrived in Tanzania to begin what for most of them would be a grueling, week-long climb to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Drew Coolidge ‘93 joined the expedition. “My climbing experience was somewhat different from my peers. I did not actively train until about four weeks prior to departure. I don't recommend that approach. I was also heavily medicated as I had twice previously experienced high-altitude pulmonary edema at much lower altitudes. Needless to say, my family worried a good bit about this adventure. But my family also knew Henry very well. The memory that is clearest to me is the pause that I took just before reaching the summit. At 100 meters below the summit, I reached the altitude of 19,013'. Getting to the summit was the major accomplishment we all sought, but when I knew I had climbed to 19,013', I took a pause to privately honor Henry. It was a moment of happy sadness. Henry had lived for 19,013 days.”
Jason Pasalich ‘96 got sick on Day 2 of the climb. “I’m not sure what it was, but I was down and out from Tuesday night through Sunday. We reached base camp Friday and left at midnight to summit on Saturday around 8am. So no food and minimal water for all those days was tough on me. The support crew, porters, guides and team were all top- notch,” Jason said. “This was a fantastic trip with beautiful views and awesome stories and memories being passed around. It was fantastic to have friends from my own pledge class at DePauw, from one above, and then the seniors when we were freshman were also there. Additionally, one gentleman a year older than Henry joined. So it was fantastic to get together and connect over our memories of DePauw, Beta and Henry.”
Climbing a mountain was something Ryan Jamboretz ‘96 had long held as a latent dream. “I had the added pleasure of being able to do it with my 18-year-old son in his final months before heading off to college,” Ryan said. “Two weeks of time with my very busy high school senior was an experience I might not have again. I also particularly loved that he got to peer inside my life and get to know the people from Beta and DePauw that were such a transformational part of my personal experience. He'd heard all the college stories, but to become genuine friends with my friends isn't something I ever expected to happen. He slotted into the group in no time and, despite the big age difference, he walked away from the trip with a new group of true friends.”
A Deeper Understanding
Brad Clement is quick to sing the praises of the DePauw liberal arts experience – the writing, speaking, and big-picture critical thinking skills it develops in students. But it’s something less tangible that has been most influential in his life and on this Kilimanjaro climb. “I think somewhere in there is an empathy that is created because of the liberal arts education, because of the bigger picture that liberal arts provide people. There is an empathy that allows understanding or desire for understanding with people from any walk of life.”
While he admits he’s not 100% sure if DePauw creates empathetic people or attracts empathetic people, the empathy has been most influential in his life, career, and the success of his 20th Kilimanjaro expedition. Brad deeply understood that what his troop of climbers did for each of the seven days of the expedition – battling altitude sickness, food poisoning, and consistently making the exhausting effort of the climbing itself – was one of the most difficult chosen challenges they might ever experience.
“Some of the guys are older, some of the guys are younger. But we came back together and we celebrated what was a really unique experience. Because if you think about that, that's the bond that kept us together was that experience in the DePauw world for those very short years,” Brad said. “And yet those very short years dictated our paths in life and our friendships. Those are some of the closest friendships that we've ever had, and that's a really special thing. We were very much a family. And I think that's why 30 some odd years later, it's as though no time had passed. Even if it was on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, we still had this well-earned and very fortunate bond that had been created so many years ago.”
Leaving a Legacy
Your DePauw story matters, too. Whether it was a friendship that lasted, a moment on campus that mattered, a professor who believed in you – your generosity can be a tribute to your DePauw experience that ensures others have similar opportunities. If you are interested in exploring how you might build on your own DePauw legacy through philanthropy, please contact Associate Vice President for Development Christian Shuck at 765-658-4863 or christianshuck@depauw.edu.