After learning more about Camp Kesem through meetings and talking to other people, I knew I needed to become involved in the organization.  Every child at camp has a parent who has or had cancer meaning a lot of their time is spent focusing on this stress.  Thanks to Camp Kesem, so many children throughout the nation are able to attend a week long camp free of charge full of fun activities and life long memories.  I understood this would not be possible if it was not for the people who volunteered their time to make it all possible.  This realization is what inspired me to become a Camp Kesem counselor.  

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In completing my project, I ran into a few challenges along the way.  The first challenge was figuring out how I was going to arrive in Cedar City, UT at 7am after celebrating the 4th of July with my family back in Las Vegas, NV.  It wasn't easy, but I left Las Vegas at 2:30am on no sleep and arrived at camp to find out they had pushed the time back by over an hour.  With no where to go besides the parking lot, I began to feel some frustration.  I sat at Southern Utah University alone for a long time, but while sitting there I had a realization.  I realized that I was not at this camp for myself; I was there to provide a great week for the campers I was soon to meet.  I instantly put my frustation and exhaustion on the back burner and devoted a week of my time to some of the strongest young ladies I have ever met.  

Another challenge I faced during the completion of my project was when a young girl in my group hurt her ankle playing on a wooden seesaw.  When I first noticed her sitting alone, I went over and talked to her but she did not mention the injury.  A few minutes later a few of her cabin mates began talk to her and she burst into tears as she pointed out the injury.  We immediately got help from the nurse who contacted her parents and explained the situation.  It was later the next night when this young girl and a friend woke me up around 2am asking to go to the bathroom.  Being on crutches, it wasn't realistic to have her hop down the hill so I carried her down and back.  Although this wasn't easy nor the ideal situation in the middle of the night, I knew it was my responsibility as her leader so I did so with a smile on my face.  

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By volunteering at Camp Kesem I believe I positively impacted the lives of every camper in my group.  However, there is one specific example which really stands out when I think about the differences I made as a leader at Camp Kesem.  It was the second night of camp when Olaf, one of the girls in my cabin, looked at me and asked if I believed in ghosts.  I was kind of thrown off by the question so before I was able to answer she looked at me and explained how not all ghosts had to be bad.  She explained how the good ghosts were angels and their job was to protect us.  Then she told me how her mom was her angel and I explained how my sister was my angel.  She looked confused as if most young people were not able to relate when she said such a thing.  This was a major bonding experience for the two of us and definitely one of the most unforgettable things which happened to me at camp.

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Camp Kesem was a week full of fun, challenges, and self development.  Through volunteering, I learned the importance of giving your time to make a difference in the lives of others.  I also further developed my leadership skills from being in charge of the lives of eight young girls for an entire week.  The strength they developed by being in difficult situations at such a young age truly made me grateful for the small things in my life.  It taught me the importance of appreciating those around me and not dwelling on my little problems.  Overall, Camp Kesem was a great growing experience for me as both a leader and as a person and something I hope to stay involved with for many years to come.