I believe that people should support the AYF, because this place is special. How many other places exist for the sole purpose of empowering the youth to become their best selves?

I'll always remember ... my first cabin of campers came in. It was some of their first years. They were all pretty nervous about making friends and everything. By the end of the week, they were all writing each other's emails and phone numbers down.

At camp, I learned a lot about self-control—how to balance my ADHD, when to let it shine during playtime, and how to manage it when I needed to focus. But the most important part of camp was the time spent with my friends.

The thing I'll remember most about camp is all the people and the community that they built here.

"The most important lesson I’ve learned at camp is how to work with people of all ages. There’s so much to learn from the campers and from the staff. It’s incredible to see the campers embrace the freedom to be themselves. That’s one of the biggest reasons I keep coming back to Miniwanca."