One of my biggest values in life is community. I believe that community has the power to alter someone’s life and experiences, enriching them immensely. This is due in part to the ways that I have seen community work in my life, after spending my summers on Lake Michigan. Every summer since I was born, my family has gone to Epworth Heights, a summer community on Lake Michigan. Epworth is a historical community that has been around for over 130 years, with the same families going for generations.

Growing up here showed me the power of community and how special it is for people to come together over tradition. There are so many traditions present in Epworth such as Venetian week, where a queen is voted on, the tennis tournament, variety show, and more. Every year, I get to participate in these same traditions with the same people, and through this, I have seen how vital it is to have a group of people around you and to foster those relationships throughout your life. This has led me to create strong relationships and make sure that I am a good person to others, creating my own communities in my life.

I also came into my leadership skills in Epworth, by being a camp counselor from the summer of 2020. Every day there are activities for the younger kids, and once you are of age you can be on staff. On staff, I learned that if I was just myself and showed up every day excited and ready to have fun, the kids would have fun too. Working together with my friends is something I look forward to every year. In Epworth, I learned not to take things too seriously, and to just have fun.