My name is Anastasia Rejniak. I’m a junior in high school this year and I am taking AP English. We had a project in this class recently… surprise surprise. The project itself was quite simple, bring in three artifacts from your life and explain how they helped shaped who you are today. I hadn’t thought about Camp Unalayee in about a year, and even worse, I hadn’t gone in two and yet, I immediately knew that a camp shirt was going to be the first thing I would talk about.
I don’t really talk to my friends about camp, mainly because they don’t (and won’t) ever undestand how awesome of a place it is, but as I was explaining to my classmates how this place has impacted my life, and when I finally heard myself verbalize how this camp has made me “me” I understood for the first time, probably ever, what a deep love I have for this place. This “place of friends” has taught me more about myslef and nature and teamwork and respect than I could ever learn from a textbook or blog post online. This renewed love for camp made me think, “Why am I not sharing my love for nature with my friends?” Long story short, I founded (and am president of) the first ever Hiking Club at my high school.
This still didn’t satisfy my craving for camp, so what more can I do? Go to Camp! I miss the summers I have spent up in the Trinities. I miss the friends I have made and the people I have met. I miss the beans and rice and zing cones. I miss the climb up umbrella tree (okay, no actually, I don’t, but it sounded good). Most of all I miss this Place of Friends. That is why I am going to do the CIT Leadership Training at Camp Unalayee this summer.
– Anastasia, Camp Unalayee Camper 2007-2011, Counselor in Training 2014
Read more testimonials from campers like Anastasia, parents, and alumni, of our summer camp for kids on Guidestar.
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