Something To Be Thankful For

Happy Thanksgiving from Camp Network!
 
We know you work hard at what you do, and we also know you don’t always get enough appreciation.  We want to change that. Here to say “thank you” to the camps that helped shape them are 10 grateful campers.
 
Michelle (Dallas, TX)
My college application essay was about the impact someone I met through marching band had on me. So... I pretty much got into Vanderbilt because of band camp. Thanks!
 
Adam (Philadelphia, PA)
At camp, I got the chance to own that I’m just a naturally loud person. Like, all the houses had their own cheers, and the male houses usually did haka while the female ones did parodies of pop songs. One year, we mixed it up by doing a Beyoncé parody which devolved into whale calls.
 
Neethu (Chicago, IL)
When I was in 3rd grade, I went to a ranch with my Girl Scouts troop. Even though I was away from my parents for the first time, I had a blast learning how to ride horses and sleeping in a cabin. That summer was amazing, and I'm so thankful for all the experiences it gave me.
 
Leah (Fairfax, VA)
One of my favorite moments was when we were all stuck in the same place and forced to bond together. But it worked, so that was cool.
 
Talie (Nyanza, Kenya)
Something magical happens at camp. We get taken away from our usual surroundings, classmates, and friends. For a time, we can reinvent ourselves and allow ourselves to be free to be who we are meant to be.
 
Jess (Baltimore, MD)
Camp taught me how the most unexpected thing can turn into the best part of your day. It also taught me that nothing is as fun as a seventy-person game of dodgeball!
 
Emily (Granville, NY)
I’m thankful for how dedicated my counselors were—they were always up for making lanyards, staying up late eating s’mores, or playing cards with me and my friends.
 
Kaitlyn (Newport News, VA)
I went to a bunch of camps every summer growing up, and the thing I am most thankful for was the friends I made! While I'm not close with any of them now, they helped me to grow and I'll never forget them.
 
Michelle (Birmingham, AL)
Camp gave me a chance to explore somewhere new, meet people from all over the world, a chance to bond over shared passions, and a laid back but thrilling atmosphere!
 
Daniel (Buffalo, NY)
In many ways, camp was an oasis. School without homework. Friendships without worries. There was something about the aura of the place that made you feel okay about waking up at seven in the morning, never quite sure what the day would bring. Most of all, I see summer camp as a breeding ground of nostalgia. One can't help but yearn for those simpler times when summers were for fun instead of career-development and when games like Capture the Flag and Tug-of-War were played by school children instead of nations.