Camille Aguilar is the quintessential camp girl. She’s been a Matolly camper for years and now she’s our head lifeguard at Cherokee Beach and she also works at our Challenge Course. Earlier this spring, Camille helped with our marketing effort.  She recently wrote the following, sharing her feelings about Matollionequay:

From ages 6 to 16, girls have the opportunity to be a part of something special at Camp Matollionequay. Beyond the adventures Matolly girls have playing Gaga, Egyptian Ratscrew, climbing towers at challenge course, zip-lining, hiking, woodworking, dancing, singing, making s’mores, and more every day at camp; there is so much more to Matolly. Through the mentoring of my counselors and peers in my 9 summers at Matollionequay, I discovered, what I believe to be my authentic self. With no one to criticize, laugh, or even rescue me, I developed the self-confidence, leadership, and independence that I could carry with me home and beyond. There is not a doubt in my mind that camp Matollionequay changed my character for the better.

Beyond my character, Matolly has been a key player in the formation of my worldview. The community at Matolly is comprised of girls from a variety of cultures and families — all facing different struggles, lending the community unique perspectives, and ultimately building a diverse and enriching environment. At Matolly, girls feel a comfort to share and to listen, as they are a part of a unique and close knit community where everyone agrees to live by our 4 core values, and be honest, responsible, cooperate, listen, and care for one another at all times. Through the unique perspectives and unanimous love I felt from the Matolly community I began to realize, love, and begin to seek out the diversity that lies beneath the surface of my surroundings. The diversity of my campers and their perspectives has allowed me to challenge how I view my environment and approach the people and the problems within it. In fact, camp inspires me every day, and now through my journey to college. Under camp’s influence, I joined my high school’s diversity committee, Model UN club, and accumulated over 500 hours of community service. As I head to the University of Chicago, I plan to study Global Studies (the study of other cultures and inter-cultural/religious/political communication), as well as Romance Languages (Spanish and French). From camp I have seen the real value of broadening one’s context of the world. After all, camp was the place that taught me while many societal problems may be out of my control, steps to bettering myself and the world directly around me are not.

Perhaps that explains how the most enriching part of my camp experience is what I am able to give back now. As a camp counselor, I know that I am not only making a difference in my community, but in the lives of developing young women. As someone who always looked up to my camp counselors as my role models, I know the responsibility that my job holds. With the many challenges that young women face today, I find the situations I am given to teach and lead by example to be a gift, and I treasure knowing the real power I have to influence someone else’s sense of self for the better.

YMCA Camp Matollionequay has given me a sense of identity, perspective, passion, and purpose.

Summer camp teaches kids life skills they cannot learn in a classroom, and for some kids, life skills they cannot learn at home. At camp, children learn self-confidence, leadership, and independence. Camp builds a sense of teamwork and co-reliability like nothing else. In a summer camp, a close-knit community forms where everyone must agree to be honest, cooperate, respect, listen, and care for one another at all times. Camp allows allows for children to experience success and become more confident and resilient. They are in an environment where ‘challenge by choice’ is encouraged, where judgment is minimal, and where diverse challenging opportunities nurture them and allow them to grow at the same time.  These experiences, especially over the long term, allow campers to develop into strong young adults, and it gives them the skills the need to build a better future for themselves and, consequently, for our world. My goal is to spread the word about what going to YMCA Camp Matollionequay has revealed to me – that summer camp is the best educator in the development of confident and strong young adults. It is a place where despite any problems in life or at home, girls can be exactly who they want to be, without fear of judgment, social, or socio-economic isolation.

Sincerely,

Camille Aguilar

Moorestown Friends ‘17

The University of Chicago ‘21