Ava had the most incredible time at Somerset. The enrichment that those two weeks brought her have gushed into her entire life. We knew we’d see a difference, but it’s beyond our expectations. Thank you so much for all that you have created for so many families.
Let’s face it, amidst all the excitement and anticipation of going to camp for the first time, it can also be pretty scary for a child (and her parents). Ditto for the directors trying to get a camp open, I might add. For first-timers, camp can be the great unknown…the people, the places, the schedule, the routine, and so on. Leaving behind the comfortable, the consistent, and the known is one of the challenges in coming to camp and why the experience can be so valuable.
But through navigating this unknown, and finding a willingness to open your heart and mind to new people and new opportunities, great things can happen. You meet amazing friends, you try new activities, you see cool places, you feel the rush of the first-time thrills, and, most importantly, you grow as a person.
Growth at camp is incremental and, at times, unnoticed. Tasting broccoli for the first time is a really big deal! Sometimes, it may even come in the form of failure. Trying to wakeboard for the first time, even if it means not getting up, is still growth. And when that experience motivates you to focus a bit more, to try a little harder, or to listen more intently to the instructor, that too is allows a camper to grow. When you refuse to be defeated and double down on your efforts, good things will happen. And they happen all the time when children at camp feel the support, safety, and encouragement from a community that allows them to grow every day.
-JH
