Name: Stephanie Hippo Years as camper: 8? Years as staff: 1 Positions: Counselor 2010 I fell in love with Sequanota my very first summer at camp as a day camper. Growing up, going to camp became an annual event that I fiercely looked forward to. The excitement only increased as I became old enough to be a mini camper, then a cabin camper, and then even an adventure camper (easily my best year at camp). I can still tell you the name of my counselors over the years (Lisa, Ang, Molly, Doris, and Kristine), and I can still tell you the names of several of my cabin mates, as we’ve remained friends over the years. Though I only spent a week every summer there, Sequanota always felt like home. Sometime in junior high, I stopped attending camp due to athletic demands during the summer. I had to be home for regular cross-country or basketball practices, which didn’t leave much time for camp. Finally, during the summer after my junior year of high school, I made an effort to return to camp as part of CREW. It was all the time I needed to remind myself why I loved Sequanota so much. The following year, I applied to be a counselor at Sequanota. Sure enough, in the summer of 2010, I graduated high school and started at Camp Sequanota as a counselor. Instead of joining the team at Sequanota, I could have taken an opportunity to apply for an internship in Texas or returned to a job as a ride operator at a local amusement park that gave me minimal hours making less than minimum wage to do nothing but press a button and listen to merry-go-round music until I lost my sanity. Sequanota was the logical choice: I figured camp would be a good adventure before I started college in the fall, there was almost a 0% chance of merry-go-round music, and while the pay wasn’t great at camp either, I’d still make more per week than at the amusement park. Plus, there’s no better way to save up money than to be in the woods where you can’t spend it. Little did I know, it would turn out to be the best career decision I made that year. Over those 3 months at camp, I met dozens of new people, ate loads of ice cream, hiked a bunch of creeks, captured a lot of flags, burned plenty of s’mores, made a lot fires, sang a lot of songs, hugged a lot of Janines (ok, just the one, but I did it a lot of times), screwed up a lot of crafts, muddied a lot of clothes, laughed until my abs hurt more than a P90X workout, learned to belay, kicked a couple cans, shoveled a ton of woodchips, zipped a lot of lines, stayed up late too many nights, and went on one adventure after another. I could go on, but in short- it was the greatest summer I ever spent at camp, and I’ll never forget it. It truly is the people that make the camp, and Sequanota always delivers on bringing people that bond together so flawlessly. Every counselor there left a smile on my face, and I’m always happy to reunite with them. Since then, Sequanota has been the gift that keeps on giving. After camp ended for that summer, I began my studies at Case Western Reserve University, an engineering school in Cleveland, where I would be studying biomedical engineering. College was fantastic, and I really felt like I was where I belonged, similar to the feeling I get anytime I’m at Sequanota. In the middle of my spring semester, I had to decide whether or not I wanted to return to camp or chase after an internship. It was unusual for freshmen to land internships after only their first year, as you’ve really only only covered the bare basics, but I decided to take the risk. I made a very difficult phone call to camp, letting them know I would not be returning for Summer 2011. Come the beginning of March, I had no job lined up for the summer. I had talked to a dozen employers at an internship fair, hoping to strike up something. I finally got an email from a very cool company named MIM Software, where they make medical imaging viewing software. If you’ve ever been scanned at a hospital, there’s a good chance their software assisted in looking inside of you. They asked me to do a simple coding project to prove my skills. I finished as much of the project as I could, and emailed back with my fingers crossed. Unbelievably, I received an invitation to interview on site. When I got there, I went through a series of interviews, and later received an incredibly generous offer to join MIM Software for the summer. I had taken the first step towards my “big girl” career. In the course of my internship, I learned that the reason my resume made it through the stacks in the first place was partly due to my work at Sequanota, particularly my time with Camp Bethesda. Sequanota actually assisted me in landing my first internship after only my freshman year. That internship led to a change in my major to Computer Science (though I’m still focusing on medical applications) and a 7-month rotation at Philips Healthcare, where I was able to work on PET/CT software. I was finally contributing to medical technology like I always wanted to, as well as studying something that made me feel like I could do anything. Sequanota, if I could give you a hug and a high-five, I totally would. You literally helped make dreams come true. Nowadays, I’m halfway through my 5 year program at Case Western. In my spare time, I’ve been learning how to fence (swords, not picket), working part-time in an office on campus, and continuing to daydream about camp. While I’m unlikely to return to Sequanota as a counselor again, I will never stop loving every square inch of those 400 acres outside of Jennerstown, as well as every face that I met there. Sequanota gave me a family to lean on, a home I can always return to, and a lifetime of memories. For that, I’m forever thankful.

Name:  Nicholas Moore

Years as camper: 6

Years as staff: 4

Positions:  Counselor (2008, 2010), Adventure Counselor (2009), Adventure Coordinator (2011)

Date Written: December 27, 2012

My Journey at camp started when I was a camper.  I went to basic cabin camp for the first time in 2000.  I remember having so much fun while there.  I couldn’t wait to go back the next year.  For the following years, I returned to camp doing other camps such as canoe camp (which needs to be brought back!) and servant adventure (which also needs to be brought back!)  I remember each summer getting so excited to go to camp.  I would always feel a sense of relief every time I went under the front gate.  There was not a worry in the world when I was at camp.  I knew from the start as a camper that I wanted to be a counselor at camp someday.  I couldn’t imagine how incredible it would be to stay at camp for the whole summer. 

During my senior year of high school in 2007, I applied to work at camp.  I was so excited of the idea of being at camp all summer.  I was called by the program director at the time and had an interview over the phone.  However, I joined the military my senior year of high school and was told I would be leaving for basic combat training in June.  This means I would not be able to work at camp.  This would be the first summer I wouldn’t be at camp in 6 summers.

During my time at basic training, I thought about camp almost daily.  Every time we would train in the woods, it would remind me of camp.  Throughout my four months of being gone with the military, I knew that the next summer, I would be working at camp.

Sure enough, I got hired on as a counselor for the summer of 2008.  I was so excited to know that I would be spending the summer there.  However, once again, conflicts arose.  In the spring semester of 2008, while in college, my vehicle caught fire.  The car was a complete loss.  Only having liability insurance, I was fairly certain that I wasn’t going to get any insurance money to purchase another vehicle.  My parents let me borrow some money to buy a new vehicle.  On top of the 2,000 dollars they gave me to put down as a down payment, I also owed them about 3,000 dollars for my first semester of tuition as the military did not yet cover it.  I sat down and thought about the 5,000 dollars I owed my parents.  I wanted to pay them back, and pay them back as soon as possible.  I got offered a job to work at a restaurant in Altoona that I worked at throughout high school waiting tables.  The money I made there was certainly much more than I would make at camp.  A few days that I was supposed to head to camp, I emailed the director and told her that I was not going to be able to work at camp.  I needed to make money to pay off my debt.  The director strongly encouraged me to come to camp stating that “the money will come.”  I took her word for it and declined the restaurant job. 

In June 2008, I headed to camp for the summer not really knowing what to expect.  But this summer proved to be one of the best summers of my life.  I met so many incredible people and learned so much about myself, while having fun.  I also learned that my first summer as a camper, I was in a cabin with one of the other counselors who was working at camp this summer.  It was funny to sit back and talk about that summer and realize that we are now counselors together.  I even found my photo album of pictures I took at camp first summer as a camper and found pictures of me and this other counselor together in a few.  Camp is a place where anyone can come.  It doesn’t matter what religion, race, nationality, or anything else that someone may be.  They come through those gates and they are welcomed there.  The other thing I love about camp is you can be yourself there and not have to worry about being judged.  In today’s society, people try to do what they can to “fit in.”  With all the bullying that’s going on in and out of our schools, people want to be part of the “cool group.”  At camp, you can be yourself and know that no one is going to judge you or treat you any differently than anyone else.  That is one of my favorite things about camp.  In August 2008, I was very sad to leave camp for the summer, but was very anxious to return the next summer.

In 2009, I applied to be the adventure counselor.  The adventure program at camp has always been my favorite.  I thoroughly enjoyed the rock climbing, white water rafting, and camping out.  It was really nice to see campers returning and remembering who I was.  I loved watching campers grow each year as I returned for the summers of 2010 and 2011.  It was even neat to see campers I had in my first few summers return to camp as staff members.  There’s something about that place that keeps pulling people back. 

After the summer of 2011, I knew I had some decisions to make.  I was graduating college in the spring of 2012.  I had to decide if I would return to camp for another summer, or push hard into the job search in this tough economy.  I decided to “retire” from camp and dig in hard to the job search.  However, camp did not leave me.  One of the job offers I had upon graduating was at a juvenile detention facility.  This facility focused on rehabilitating the juveniles over punishing them.  My experience working with children at camp came up during my interview.  They were very impressed with the programs that camp provides for children.  They offered me a job.  I firmly believe that the 4 years I worked at camp had a big part to do with being offered this job.

With having a few different offers, I decided to work for a company called ICS Merrill.  ICS Merrill is a branch off of a company called EMSI (Examination Management Services Incorporated).  ICS Merrill was the investigative division of this company.  I got hired on as a field investigator investigating insurance fraud cases. 

So where am I at today?  I’m still working for ICS Merrill.  I travel all around central and western PA for work.  And sometimes down into Maryland in West Virginia.  I’m currently living in Altoona, but may be moving into the Pittsburgh area in the near future.  I’m still in the military, and recently signed up to do another 7 years in the army.  I get to camp as often as I can and try to see some of the staffers as much as possible.  Camp has been a huge part of my life for the past decade.  I can’t wait to have children and send them to camp to let them experience what I got to experience!

“You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

Name: Ashley
Years as camper: Too many to count.
Years as staff: Summer 2010, Volunteer 2012
Positions: Media Staff , Co Counselor & Camp Bethesda (2010) Volunteer Summer 2012
Date written: December 8, 2012

I applied to work at camp Sequanota the Spring semester of my Freshman year of college. My journey started when I was too young to remember. I was a camper for many years. Sequanota was always something that I looked forward to , A place that became my childhood and where my faith grew more and more each summer. I always aspired to be a camp counselor when I was older. That spring semester I got in contact with Ang & met with her during " Spring break in the woods" where students from colleges all over spend their spring break, well.. in the woods, doing service projects and such. As I drove up in the snow, walking to the dining hall in feet of snow , not prepared at all to do so I wondered what the heck I was getting my self into. Could I even spend a summer in the woods?  I finally made it to the dining hall filled with students painting church pews for the summer. Each one was different, each one had a story but each one had something common. They were all here doing the same thing for the same reason. God brought them all here. Thats where everything began.
I spoke with Ang and told her how I thought this is what I really needed to fulfill this void I had always had of being a part of  camp, something more.

The end of the spring semester I got a call that would forever change my life.
 Summer 2009 was the hardest because I felt like I didn't have a purpose and found myself at the exact place I grew up. Sequanota.

Summer 2010 is one that I will never forget. I learned so many things such as FOB time is a cherished thing. Laughing is contagious with campers , especially 5 mins AFTER bedtime. Trying to build a campfire in the rain IS possible. But the biggest one is that the Lord has a plan for all of us. During this summer I saw so many children grow. Week after week , because of one place, they became something only one can see for themselves.
That summer I grew with every camper, as one left a little piece of me left too. I worked as Media staff and took pictures each week of a camper completing the rock wall, facing their fear of the zip line, or dancing the night away during campfire. I captured children light up and concur their fears everyday.
I also meet incredible new friends which by my side created an amazing staff, amazing children and adult campers , incredible pastors and even amazing parents. Leaving for college in August was the hardest thing I had to do.
 The next summer went by and I got a "Big Girl" job and wasn't able to make it back as staff, I missed the smiling faces , morning assembly , all the hiking and of course campfire. The summer of 2012 came and I had the same summer job but just couldn't see myself with out Sequanota, I needed it back in my life. At least one day a week. I got to volunteer every Sunday in which I  found a huge smile on my face as I drove to take part in camper registration. There has always been something about Sequanota that I can never really put into words. It has always found a sense of peace for me. It truly has become a home, a save heaven , a place to worship, sing, dance laugh and of course to love. Every Sunday just telling a camper which cabin they were in was sure to spark a huge smile on their faces,  its unreal how such a small thing can make someone so excited. I am blessed to know that there is a place in the world that can bring so much joy to people of any age. I was never sure if it was the place , the atmosphere or the people. But than I realized its all those things. Every camper ,every story ,every smore eaten was what made up such a wonderful place.  
I cant say how thankful I could ever be for such a place. Because of Sequanota I have a second family, a second home. My heart is there.

Two days ago I got a call from one of my close friends that was a counselor with me . Little did they know I was having a bad day, They were in the area by my apartment at school. He didn't ask any questions or hesitate to ask how I was doing. An hour later I found myself across a table at a restaurant reminiscing about the place that brought us together. Once again when I least expected it , on a bad day, Sequanota was there for me.

Sequanota is the place that no matter how long I've been away, I can always pick up right where I left off.

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

At the time I didn't know what Sequanota was, but now I could never imagine my life with out it.

Thank you, Sequanota

Name: Cathy

Years as camper: none

Years as staff: 2007-2012

Positions: Counselor (2007-09), Co-coordinator of Camp Bethesda (2010-12)

Date written: December 8, 2012

I applied to work at camp Sequanota when I was 19 years old.  My journey started out that summer because I had to fulfill a pre-student teaching requirement of 80 hours with children.  While I knew there were other ways of fulfilling those hours for some reason I felt that Sequanota was the answer.  From June to August I spent those required hours and several hundred more with counselors that became friends and campers that would become counselors several years later.  I never thought that an educational obligation would transform my life into what it is today.  The summer of 2007 offered many experiences for me as I experienced hundreds of firsts.  It was the first time I ever “performed” in campfire.  It was the first time I ever had to plan a worship service.  It was the first time I ever lead a bible study.  It was the first time I felt the responsibility of having the lives of children in my hands. 

Every summer I left feeling fulfilled but uncertain if I would come back the next summer.  I feel more than blessed that I have been able to be a part of summer programming for the past six summers.  At the end of every summer I headed back to college or to teaching.  This is my third year of teaching and I am currently teaching at a high-poverty charter school in northern North Carolina.  Every single day I am faced with new challenges and I am constantly reminded of my experiences at Sequanota.  I truly believe I would not be able to overcome as many obstacles if I hadn’t been put in an environment such as Sequanota.  During my first summer as I completed all of those “firsts” I overcame a lot of my fears.  I went from refusing to speak in front of my peers in middle school to speaking in front of hundreds at a worship service at Sequanota to speaking in front of hundreds in a high school setting.  I shudder to think of where I would be if it weren’t for the courage I gained at Sequanota.  I also wonder where I would be without the lifelong friends I made there.  I am beyond thankful when I consider how many positive relationships I have made at camp and how many amazing counselors are just a phone call away.  The emotional support that has been given to me in the last three years of being hundreds of miles from the place I still call home has been beyond incredible.  The texts, phone calls, facebook messages, and visits have encouraged me stay in contact with the remarkable family that is Sequanota. 

Just a few weeks ago I asked members of the Sequanota family to help fund a class set of books for my students.  Within three hours of messaging them I had a full set of A Raisin in the Sun paid for through DonorsChoose.org.  My students are currently engaged in class and excited about what they are learning as we discuss the social issues of the time and analyze a form of literature they have never been exposed to before.  Once again, another reminder of just how powerful Sequanota is. 

As the season of giving is upon us I am reminded of how blessed I am because of Sequanota.  I know that many of you feel the same and I would love for you to share your story right here.  I enjoy listening to camp anecdotes as well as hearing about where members of our family are today.  Many of us are truly passionate about what we are doing and I believe we can help each other along the way.  Please email me your story at CRC5064@gmail.com.

With Sequanota Love,

Cathy