YMCA Camp Weona has been a part of Isabel’s life for nearly a decade. She started as a young camper and worked her up to Weona’s leadership programs and eventually became a staff member last summer. For Isabel, the Camp Weona experience impacted her life in ways she never thought possible. “It’s filled me with confidence, helped me grow as a person, and given me some of the best friends I’ve ever had,” she says.
Isabel is a very talented musician, but music was a part of her life she wasn’t always comfortable sharing with others. “Thanks to the encouragement of the incredible staff and the kindness of other campers, I’m more comfortable coming out of my shell,” she says. Last summer, she led Camp Weona’s new music program, which allowed her to share her love of playing music with her peers. “I spent the entire summer teaching kids of all ages basic percussion instruments, keyboard skills, guitar, and ukulele. Those were some of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had.” It turns out, those experiences are what inspired Isabel to pursue a music education degree in college.
“As for the friends that I’ve made along the way, they are always with me – whether it’s the bracelets they made me that I keep on my wrist, or the pictures I hang in my dorm room. Camp has always been with me and it always will be.”