Hey there, I’m Brendan. I’m a student living in Athens, GA and I am a freshman at UGA. Something interesting about me is that I have gone to overnight camp since I was 8 years old (with the exception of 2020). The camp is called Trails End, and it is in Beach Lake, PA (the Poconos). Although when I was little I failed to grasp camp's impact on my life, looking back now, I can confidently say it is the most important experience I have had. From making lifelong friends to learning important social skills and how to live on my own, camp played a large role in shaping who I am today. Perhaps the most important thing camp has given me is connections. For example, I met many people that I now go to college with through mutual friends from camp, including my roommate. With most of my camp friends not living particularly close to me, I have gotten “access” to knowing people from many different parts of the trip-state area (PA, NJ, NY), which has helped me tremendously in almost every aspect of my life. It is hard to understate how impactful camp has been on my life, and, even now, I still go back each summer, now as a counselor, to continue fostering friendships and connections, many of which I continue to reap the benefits of as I get older.