Approximately a year ago, at the start of my freshman year at Denison, I began looking for ways to get involved on campus. I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to get involved in but knew that I wanted it to be a club that would help me make a difference in some way shape or form. That’s when I found out about Camp Kesem.
Camp Kesem is a national non-profit organization with over 130 chapters at universities throughout the country. Each chapter raises money to fully fund, plan, and run a week-long camp for kids whose parents have or have had cancer. With over 5 million children affected by their parent’s cancer each year, Camp Kesem offers a unique opportunity for these kids to distance themselves from reality and be true kids for a week. The camp fosters rich relationships between campers and counselors and provides each camper with a large social support network. Campers bond over their shared experiences all while enjoying fun activities.
I was immediately drawn to the organization and knew that I wanted to get involved, but I had no idea how impactful my joining would be. Upon joining, I became an operations coordinator for Denison’s chapter, meaning that I planned family gatherings (Friends-and-Family day) and most importantly, the camp itself. It was really amazing to see how much money we raised during the school year, but becoming a counselor was the best decision I made.
Over the course of the week of camp, I witnessed a close-knit group of campers come out of their shells and develop friendships that will last a lifetime. It is hard to describe in words what the atmosphere felt like; the camp encompassed a feeling of magic, Kesem magic.
It was incredibly special watching each camper unveil their full personality and observing the growing bonds between campers. But the campers were not the only ones who changed during camp. I also changed.
Being a counselor required that one be outgoing and constantly full of energy to hype up the campers. Now, I would consider myself to be more introverted, and being around a group of people I am not very familiar and comfortable with is sort of my nightmare. Kesem changed that for me. I have gained a sense of confidence that I have never felt before and have become significantly more comfortable being my true self around people I am not close with. Kesem provided me with an opportunity to truly discover myself, and I’m so grateful to be a part of this amazing organization!