[On joining Troy Camp]:

"August 2008: I arrived at USC early to attend a Hillel Freshman retreat. During the panel about extracurriculars at USC, almost every retreat mentor mentioned something called Troy Camp, so I applied. Peek-A-Boo was one of my interviewers and during the interview he made me sing a camp song from my camp back home – hand motions, loud voice and all, while I was wearing heels and a skirt. I knew I wanted to be a part of this crazy outgoing community."

 

[On camp songs]:

"2009: Nightlight and the Wackies singing Soy Una Pizza at lunch line-up. What a great new song to bring to camp – it got all the kids to try out acting! Also Outcamp and star stories with the 5th graders."

 

[On snow]:

"2010: SNOW! It SNOWED in MAY in the LA mountains. Yes. SNOW. I said snow. Snow during the week of camp made things very crazy; we had to dip into emergency camp funds to buy gloves and extra blankets for the kids. But I wouldn’t have asked for any other weather! My girls in G-7 loved it! Many of the kids at camp had never seen snow! Never touched a snowball, never felt the ice melting on their fingers, never made a snowman.  So we did it all!"

 

[On the last night of camp]:

"2011: On the last night of camp, after pinecone dedication, I sat next to my co-execs Buttons and Loafer reflecting on a job well done (and non-competitively counting number of dedications we each received). No but really, listening to all the campers talk about their week at camp made me truly realize how transformative just six days can be in a kid’s life."

 

[On Troy Camp counselors]:

"I have so much respect for all of my fellow counselors. There were counselors who spent more time with their kids during the year – getting to know their families, eating homemade empanadas and helping with high school applications. Other counselors stayed up all hours of the night for a week leading up to Pass the Can to prepare the milk jugs. Counselors spent hours upon hours devoted to our campers, to providing them with opportunities that they so deserve. To this day, I have never been a part of a group of people that have such open hearts and create such a supportive community. Troy Camp counselors are a different breed."