The impact camp has had on me is truly unmeasurable. It’s helped me in all stages and phases of my life.

Learning Diversity

Growing up in a small, affluent, suburb in Massachusetts, many kids I grew up with weren’t exposed to the kinds of things I was by going to camp. First off, my town was mostly white, middle class, with very few minorities. WEHC exposed me to all kinds of cultural and financial differences than what I was used to. That-in turn made me a much better human being learning that people come in all shapes/sizes and backgrounds but the differences that separated us were nothing compared to the shared experiences that bound us. I learned about different kinds of music, food and cultural differences I never would’ve learned in my hometown.

Learning Independence

I learned independence from being tasked with daily cleaning tasks, a schedule of events where I had to go different places at different times and as I grew gain more responsibility like going off-camp grounds on hikes, camping trips, doing my own laundry (something I know few other 12-13 year olds were doing) and shopping for my own snacks with the allowance of my canteen budget.

Learning Connection

I learned how to live and connect with others. This seems like a pretty common and easy thing for most, but there is a big difference between hanging out with your friends at school, then a couple hours every now and then to hang out or sleep over and living with 11 other kids for an extended period of time. Learning about giving other people space, how to operate in a shared living situation isn’t easy whether it is borrowing a deck of cards or chess set, to sitting on someone else’s bed to talk to your friend because they sleep next to each other. Connecting with others from different backgrounds every couple of weeks can be a challenge at first, but learning those skills is crucial. I learned how to make friends fast and learned that being true to myself is the best way to find others who you can rely on and make a lasting connection. These are skills that helped me through college and my early adulthood. Where some of my college friends struggled with adapting to a shared living space, I thrived. Where some of them clung to familiar faces and places, I was much better at going to other areas of campus and clubs and jump right in.

Learning New Interests

I learned to be well rounded. I was an overweight kid growing up, I liked a few sports, but didn’t know a ton, I was more interested in video games and indoor activities. Camp exposed me to all of the major sports. I learned the rules and the art of healthy competition. This really helped me as I grew because not only was I involved in theater, singing and the arts, but I also played every major sport growing up in town leagues and a couple in high school, along with intramural college leagues.

The Lasting Impact

Lastly, while it is said many times, I learned about brotherhood and the value of lifelong friendships. To this day my camp brothers (and real brother who also went to camp lol) see each other multiple times a year at events (both camp and personal), we’re in a fantasy football league and multiple text/fb chats with daily interaction. I’ve been on vacation in other countries and heard “Is that Avergon?” only to find a friendly face to hang out with on my trips. I’ve relied on these brothers for advice in all facets of life from career connections to advice on buying a home.

I can’t say enough great things about WEHC, I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it weren’t for camp and I’m most certainly a better person for it.

Thanks,
Justin Avergon