I’m a Better Kid

Kathleen (far right) with counselor Jay (sunglasses) and her group.

Written by: Kathleen, 7th grade student at YDA

I’ve learned a lot of life skills from the Youth Development Academy this summer.  At first I was a little scared to come because I was afraid at the thought of not making friends.  When I came, however, it turned out that most everyone was just as scared as me.  That helped me form new friendships with people I would have never known.

Along with gaining social skills, I also have become a decent swimmer!  At first I was a terrible swimmer.  Maybe it’s not so much I was a flat-out horrible swimmer, but I was just too scared to go into the deep end and kept clinging to the wall of the shallow end.  This camp has given me the confidence to do all that without the fear of…well…drowning.

The counselors are also really great! They’ve helped me become a better kid – inside and out.  They are friends to us kids, as well as being our counselors.

This camp is a great opportunity for kids who would have nothing to do otherwise during the summer.  And, the people who devoted their time to make this camp possible are really great people!  They are giving up their summer to work with us kids, and improve our summer.  So, to all the staff, donors, and coaches…Thank You!!