As a child I made choices and lived life for only that day because I never knew what tomorrow would bring. I had friends, but I always felt like I had to prove myself – to show that I was willing to break the rules and wasn’t afraid of a fight. I felt like people never liked me for me.
Everything changed after SCOPE helped me go to summer camp. My first summer at camp I couldn’t believe how chill everything and everyone was. I made so many friends, and my counselors showed me a different way to act. They let me know I could be anything I wanted to be if I made good choices.
When I came home from camp I decided to change my life and began to plan for my future. Now I work hard in college and am a camp counselor every summer. I want to show kids in situations like I was in that there are choices, that someone can relate to them and to be a positive role model in their lives.
I am so grateful to the people who allowed me to go to camp and who are giving other kids the same opportunity. Sending a kid to camp is truly giving them a chance to change their lives. I am the perfect example of that.