Day 2!

Ever since the 14 hour drive up to Madison from Little Rock things have not slowed down much! As soon as we drove in it was off to dinner and other such good times...


Helga's Homies!

Mike and Helga
 

 The next morning started with the AEE Conference welcome and prestigious Kurt Hahn address. This year the address was given by long-time experiential educator Jasper Hunt. After that we had lunch, wandered around the city a little bit, then a few of us went to the Mad City Urban Adventure 3 hour workshop. It was soo much fun. Mike and I chose to the do the biking route. Although they told us it was not a race, we enjoyed acting like it was one. Although, once we began the route and figured out it was a 25 minute bike ride to the first destination, we decided to just go for the fun aspect instead of trying to "win"... which was probably better because we didn't even know what winning at this little workshop would even look like! haha. We were actually the last ones back to the meeting room at the end of it. We did not even care though because the last destination we made it to was a pasta company called RPs. We got to test about 6 different types of handmade pasta. I think the overall favorite was squash filled raviolli. mMmMMm. Oh! By the way... the bikes were called B-cycles. They are a part of the growing movement of urban bike sharing. Basically you check them out at one place and can return them to any number of stations throughout the city. There is a fee to use them, but luckily we got to use them for free! Here are a couple pictures of our team: Helga's Homies! (Our team "accomplice" was Helga-the little doll in a pink hat and dress.

Our B-Cycles at the Olbrich Gardens

 The evening after this great adventure ended essentially with a nice dinner with Mom and Dad. They drove down from Prior Lake, MN and we had a wonderful time. I absolutely love being around my parents, so it was so great to spend time with them (well, that is when they aren't telling embarrasing stories about me to my direct supervisors).

At the Goodman Center.

mmm. pasta!

 If anyone is actually reading this as I post it, you will see that I am writing day 2 on during, well day 4 ... but that is because it is after midnight. The important part is that I am writing about day 2 and how much fun it was exploring on the B-cycles and spending time with Mom and Dad once they got into town. I hope to post tomorrow about today! To say the least.... it was quite eventful. :)
Love you all.

for.the.kids

This is just the beginning!

This morning a select few of the rowdy leadership jumped in the 15 passenger van and headed off to the International Association of Experiential Education Conference in Madison, WI.
This few includes the likes of Mike, James, Aaron, Jana and myself. And when we say morning... we literally mean we got on the road at 3:00am to finally arrive in our hotel suite around 5:00pm. There were many memorable moments along the way... moments such as Mike and Jana hijacking my laptop to plug Mike's speakers into them so that they could jam out in the back of the van (I was not aware of this happening for a while), James ordering a pizza from a place in his hometown and it being delivered by his mother at a Love's trucker stop (the pizza was delicious by the way), and Mike conveniently forgetting to buy/telling me that Walmart did not have Red Vine licorice.
 Like I said... just a few things. Most of the time it was actually just us rotating drivers and catching up on the sleep we didn't get since we had to meet at 3:00am.
Anywho, the important part is that we ALL made it to Madison safely and have been having a great time since we got here. We have this amazing suite and are taking advantage of every second of it. We have of course been enjoying each others' company and I imagine it will only get better as we continue into the next four days of the conference.
BONUS: Mom and Dad are driving down here from Prior Lake, MN tomorrow so all of my coworkers that haven't met them will get to get to know them!

I look forward to updating as the conference continues! More adventures are to come!

The Pfeifer Camp Teachers, - Jana and Tammy... and Mike- my fellow Program Director

The view from the special place we get to hangout because of the high-classness of our rooms at the hotel!

The Service of a CIT

The service of a CIT (Counselor In Training) at Pfeifer Camp is not for the feign of heart. The expectations are high and the demands are physically, emotionally, and intellectually exhausting. Ask any CIT though and they will tell you the exhaustion at the end of the week is well worth it. It is well worth it because for most of them, they have been looking forward to this opportunity since they first attended camp; which for some could have been as early as nine years old. To be a CIT is a huge honor for anyone that knows the system of Pfeifer Camp. It requires a high school aged student to dedicate themselves to serving the kids at camp through the ups and downs alongside an AmeriCorps Counselor. As one of these counselors, I find each of these CITs to be amazing in the work they do. Not only do they sacrifice their summer and the possibility of having a job to earn some extra cash; they do so to come out into the mosquito infested woods, run around in 100 degree heat, and on occasion get some serious attitude from campers. On top of all this- they do it for absolutely free. This last year we had many of the CITs volunteer week after week. That is essentially volunteering Monday morning until Friday afternoon in some very stressful conditions for five weeks. What seems to draw these CITs back week after week is multifaceted. Not only do they get to give back to the place that for many of them they call a second home; they get to serve alongside their peers. Some of these peers they grew up with at camp. As they serve with the AmeriCorps Counselors that have travelled from all over the country they also get to learn about the culture and background they come from. They learn leadership skills as they are put in a position alongside the AmeriCorps Counselor and get to teach the kids the skills they grew up learning at camp. These skills include problem solving, outdoor living skills and team building. They get to meet, interact with, and positively influence kids from all over the city. Each week they come back with an unparalleled energy and a drive to serve together so as to continue the traditions that make Pfeifer Camp such a magical place. So when I think of success as it relates to summer camp here at Pfeifer Camp, I can’t help but acknowledge the huge success our CITs are because of their courage, intellect, and tenacity.

Fall

After a long hiatus from the blogosphere...

I was just on the phone with my nana yesterday and she asked if the leaves were starting to change. I thought about it for a second and told her that I thought it seemed to be just around the corner, but wasn't quite there yet. Well, guess what I woke up to this morning? Yup, as I started to look around today I noticed them changing. In fact, they seemed to be changing right before my eyes. Like all in one instant they were turning from green to red and falling to the ground.
As I sit and think about the day today I couldn't help but notice a parallel between the transformation of the season and the many significant transformations happening throughout camp. As we have started our third of five weeks in this first session, these kids have been pushing their counselors to the limits. Each week though, these new counselors come back to the group with new ideas and admirable resilience. I watch them take hit after hit of attitude and craziness... only to get back up with new ways of dealing with the same old behaviors. Because of their hard work and tireless efforts, changes are happening. They are working hard and are challenging the kids to work even harder to make the changes they need to so as to prove to us that they are ready and willing to be the best versions of themselves. This hasn't happened with all of the kids yet, but I have definitely seen the kids start to realize how much we care for them here. They are putting up with the creaky bunk beds, communal bathrooms, and being fussed at by the adults around them because they know that we only want the best from them. They could have given up and stayed home, but they just keep coming back. Dr. Glasser believes that everyone needs at least one person in life who genuinely cares about them and who they genuinely care about. Here at camp we hope that they can find that. Even more than that, we hope they find an overwhelming amount of people here care deeply about them and their future. This is often the most important part of the equation that helps them to change. So just like the season, changes are happening here at camp. Big surprise right? I don't think I would still be here if there weren't big changes happening every single day. I love this place and the people here. Here's to a great start to what I hope is another great year.

for.the.kids

Half Way There!

I just love froggies in the spring. This one is about 2 1/2 inches long!

   We are in full swing here at camp. The third graders have been here for two weeks now, and we have two more left! Third graders are always a fun bunch for many reasons. One way that they are particularly fun is that none of them have ever been through the ACE Program before. Often times, when we have the fourth and fifth grade sessions, some of the campers that have been at camp the previous year or even previous sessions create an atmosphere that just isn't quite the same as having a camp full of newbies. They know how things work (or at least they think they do), they try to manipulate the system (and most the time fail), and they often don't show as much growth because they have done it all before.

      Please please please don't get me wrong... I absolutely love all the children that come through these gates and graduate... but third graders are just so rewarding because you get to start from square one!

   Another reason they are so much fun is because they are not quite as tainted by the world as fourth and fifth graders. They are more imaginative, creative, and energetic. Along with those traits... they are also extremely emotional, irrational, and have tiny bladders (They literally have to go all the time. And when they have to go, they have to go that minute. On more than one occasion this session, a kid has peed their pants because they couldn't hold it). Whoops! Our counselors are working so hard though, and have shown their strength and passion throughout these past two weeks. They clean up after the pee, they stay up until all hours of the night with a kid doing homework, and they plan tons of activities to make their campers' time at camp the most memorable experience. 

   We are half way through, and yet, have much work to do. We have made great strides with many kids, and continue to struggle with others. It is so difficult because you deal with a behavior of a camper and think that you've finally gotten through to them, only to see them do the same thing that got them in trouble the next day. You pour your heart and soul and will into them, and they revert to what they know. The counselor mantra that keeps us as sane (as one could be doing this job) is... "They have had 8-10 years to develop these poor habits- we have four weeks- we will do the best we can and hope we see a change, whether that change occurs here or back at home or at their school, or even in the years to come." 

This is what drives us. What we see in the present, and what we know they can do. Most importantly, we know that they are important and worth our effort. And when the kids understand that- that they are important and worth it- our mission is complete.

Kids are coming...

   Our new batch of 3rd Graders are coming one week from today, and man am I a tad anxious. I am not going to be in a cabin this session... in fact, last session was probably the last cabin I will ever have; therefore I will be more responsible for keeping track of ALL the cabins. With this Team Leader title, I am responsible for being more active in the cabins and helping with discipline issues. Since the kids this upcoming session have never been to camp, it is going to be a lot of helping them adjust to the routine and expectations of camp. Over the last few weeks I have been recharging and reflecting upon my skill set so as to best serve the kids and help them become the best version of themselves.

The tape cannot touch itself or clothes, and has to be completely unrolled.

   Friday and Saturday we had some ACE graduates and College and Career Readiness (CAC) teenagers come out to camp just to have some good old fashioned fun. I was with the CAC kids and had a great time helping them learn about the characteristics that make a good leader, and encouraging them through the twists and turns of high school. I can't say a lot about the boy CAC teenagers because they were with Mike more, but I can say that the girls are awesome young ladies. Of course they have their quirks (they are teenagers after all), but overall they are so much fun to be around. I really enjoy being a positive role model for them and letting them be whoever they want to be. They are great examples of the long-term impact Pfeifer Camp makes.

Removing the tape was painful on the arms and legs!

      One fun thing they did was program an hour of fun for the elementary kids that were at camp that weekend with them. With organizational help from Alice and I, they came up with what was sort of like an obstacle course for the kids. Different stations included Lacrosse, jacks, jump-roping, and hopscotch. It was definitely impressive watching them pull it off, and anyone could tell that the elementary kids had such a great time. They really looked up to the teenagers and were in awe that they would plan games for them!

    This overnight was a great way to get us counselors back into the mode of having kids because we have been without them for about a month now. 

    Everyone seems to be pretty ready to have kids come back and are excited to work with a new group of campers. This next session is only four weeks, but it will no doubt be a challenge. 

We are ready though! Bring 'em on!

I know I'm not supposed to have favorites...

I have known Deasarae for a year and a half now and have seen her graduate three times from Pfeifer Camp’s ACE program. In fact, I was her first counselor a year and a half ago and this last session made me the last counselor she would have as an ACE graduate. I have literally watched her grow into the mature young lady she has become. When Deasarae came to camp as a fourth grader she was timid, didn’t believe in herself, and was drawn towards the negative influences in the cabin. Throughout that first session, she and I had many talks about how her poor choices were impacting her life.  It was through those talks and her experiencing how positive choices could bring her positive results. The success she found during this first session was something she could take with her, and something that she continued to experience during her subsequent sessions. During this most recent session, I was most impressed with Deasarae’s mature ability to share her feelings with those around her. I often had her share her feelings with her cabin mates during difficult situations because of her eloquent way of speaking her mind and her prior experience at camp. This ability was something her cabin mates also looked up to her for. When Deasarae was put in leadership positions, she relished the opportunity and asked for more chances to work on her skills as a leader. Every moment I could, I praised her for the change I had seen since her first session. She came to understand the process of camp and the love that the staff has for the kids they work with. She came to understand that she was the only one in control of her destiny. She could pick the friends she wanted to be around, she could earn the grades she wanted, and she could be a leader if she wanted to be. She has truly exhibited the transformation Pfeifer Camp kids go through during their five weeks of camp.

Another Session of Success!

Pfeifer Camp had it's 117th graduation yesterday afternoon. The weather outside may have been overcast and a bit drizzly.... but inside the classroom everyone was all smiles! Speaker Tyler Thompson was wonderful and kept everyone engaged in his speech as he did a wonderful job articulating all the hard work the kids do to graduate, and how equally hard their counselors and teachers work to help them be the best version of themselves. I was like a proud momma with my girls as I watched them cross to receive their medal and certificate of achievement. Two of my girls were also chosen as class speakers and they did wonderfully. One of the best lines by my camper, Colleen, was "if you ever meet the teachers you would be like OMG! They are awesome!" The entire audience laughed. It was precious and made me well up because of the new found confidence Colleen has found while being nurtured at camp. All the girls still have a lot of work to do, but they have achieved so much in the last five weeks. I am so glad to get to see them finish the year out at their regular schools.

  Here are a couple of pictures I wanted to share. One was given to me at the end of the fourth week. The one with my name in the middle was a part of an activity I like to call, "Compliment Nametags" where we each pass the papers around with our name on it and everyone writes a compliment on it. I put little pieces of paper over parts where someone put down their phone number or last name (for privacy's sake). 

One of my fav comments is "Lets Get Funky" by Lyndsi

The Emptying of The Pockets

 

Not too long ago a good friend of mine posted about the contents of her purse. This past week I was inspired to share the contents of my pockets as my next post... seeing as I don't really carry a purse around where I work because I would look silly, I decided emptying my pockets would be much better. I think that it gives a really good glimpse into the life of a Pfeifer Camp Counselor. 

Without further adeu; here are the contents of my pant and jacket pockets the day after camp-out. :)

Gloves (folded and unfolded)- The unfolded are mine. I started my morning at 5:30am wearing them while taking down my tent, but by 6:15am they were shoved in my pockets because it was difficult to quickly tie twine on my girls' packs. The folded ones were an extra pair in case a girl lost hers. Always gotta be prepared!

Socks- On the note of being prepared; I had an extra pair of socks just in case. It is started camping knowledge that you want to change socks before bed because your feet will be much happier in un-sweaty socks while trying to fall asleep. 

Twine- Twine is pretty much the most important part of campout... and also the most frustrating often times. We tie everything onto external frame backpacks with twine, so it is always a necessity. Any Pfeifer counselor would probably agree that camp-out mornings are often more difficult than the actual camp-out itself because we are up at the crack of dawn in 40 degree weather trying to wake-up 10 9-11 year olds, get everything tied back on their packs, take the tents down, and grab the bear-bag- all while sporadically taking about half of them to the bathroom in the woods because they have held it all night in the tent. Soooo having enough twine for the packs, in case they lost it, is important because THE LAST THING you want to hear in the morning is; "Ms. Adriennnnnnne; I don't have enough twine, and my hands hurt, and I'm cold, and I can't roll my sleeping bag, and I'm fixin to uuuuuuuuusssse it!" Little Rock Children's Lingo Dictionary: Fixin to use it means they are about to pee their pants. 

Pocket Knife- To cut said twine and other things that need to be cut. 

Taboo cards: We have had these taboo cards at our table in the Mess Hall so that the girls done eating can play with each other and entertain themselves so that they don't get too crazy. The ones featured here are inappropriate ones they found. The first couple of times we had the cards for meals the girls found it more entertaining to look for inappropriate ones than to actually play the game. If you can't see them one is Bunny and one of the words you can't use is Playboy. The other one is Naked in which you can't use Stripper. You also can't say Nudist Colony for Naked either. Weird.

Composition Notebook and Pen- For taking notes on the girls and the numerous lists I make throughout the day to keep myself organized. 

Folded Piece of Paper- My weekly schedule with random notes about things I needed to do.

Hairband- Obvious. It is a cabin of girls.

Cough Drop Wrapper- Because all of the girls think they are sick and in need of a cough drop because one of the other girls got one.

Cross- From my grandpa. I keep it in my raincoat pocket.

Reversible label- From one of the many stocking caps I passed out for camp out to prevent the whining of being cold. 

Justin Beiber Dog Tag Necklace- Aubrey asked if I would hold on to it to keep it safe. Gotta keep that Beiber gear safe.

Toilet Paper- Numerous reasons for having this. 

Leaf- Who knows.

Petzl Headlamp- Because it is still dark when we wake up to take down camp; and well, it's also dark when we go to bed.

Germ-X- For the germs.

Tweezers- The girls were taking showers that morning and all of the sudden I hear; "Ms. Adrienne will you come here please?!" "Yes, just a second; what is it?" I said. "I have a tick...LOOK!" Oh Lordy was it a big one right on her left hip. So I ran over to my toiletries shelf and found my tweezers because I couldn't get it with my fingers. In the 5 seconds it took me to get them though she had calmly and coolly pried it off of herself . She then proceeded to hand it to me and I squished it real good! 

Cabin Adventures

 Our cabin of girls this session are quite entertaining... so I see it only fit that I share some of the adventures of our cabin thus far since we are about 1/2 way done with the session!
    This session Cindy and I decided to have different themes each week having to do with different types of environments. The first week we chose the rain forest because we thought that it would be fun to decorate. Unfortunately I have not taken pictures of our vines and randomly placed paper snakes and monkeys, but as the heart above indicates it sure is "Enchanted" :)
   The second week of camp our theme was the desert. To be honest, we didn't really do too many activities, nor did we decorate... but I did make a pretty sweet Word Search that the girls have enjoyed and I checked out some books at the library so that when they had time the could read them and look at the pictures. This week is an ocean theme. If we have time, we are going to do some origami with the girls and maybe make name-tags in the shape of ocean animals.
   One really meaningful thing that both cabins of girls got to do last Wednesday evening was the FIRST EVER  A.C.E. Girl's Night. Heather organized the event, along with help from Alexa, and it was a great success. The girls made lip gloss out of Fruit Punch mix and warmed Vaseline. The girls loved it, and we as the counselors did our best to convince them that they really didn't want to "accidentally" consume too much of the lip gloss even though it tasted really good. After the lip gloss and the subsequent trips to wash their hands of the greasiness of the Vaseline, we did "Compliment Name-tags". Basically all of us wrote our names on a piece of construction paper, taped them to the ground and wrote a compliment on everyone's paper. My personal favorite on mine was "You smell clean". After the name-tags all of the girls set out their sleeping bags on the floor and we watched the movie "Rio" while eating popcorn. Everyone really had a great time and I think the girls really felt the love that night... which is what a lot of them need because we have a lot of girls that are dealing with low self-esteem this session.

   On Thursday afternoon we took a hike as a cabin "up the hill" and did an activity that is a personal favorite, called Ant Farm Realty. On our way, we found this cool tree that was growing over the sign that was posted on it.
    Once we got up there, I also noticed how three or four of the trees looked as though they had been scorched at some point; maybe lightening.... either that or there is some disease making all the bark come off the trees.
   After hearing the girls' hypothesis on the bareness of the trees they began the construction of their ant realty. In the end, the girls made some very creative properties. Interestingly, all of the groups had a spa area on their property for the ants. One group had a hospital, cemetery, school, and a grocery store. One of the more hilarious comments came from Chloe in the group with the hospital. After one of the girls was jokingly giving her a hard time she goes, "Imma gonna build me a hospital because you're about to put me in it!" I giggled to myself for a couple of minutes about that one.

The last picture here is one that was taken by Arrianna. She noticed how pretty the sunset was, so I asked if she wanted to take a picture of it. This is the view from the equipment shed looking out at the field.
   This week has started pretty well, and Cindy and I are making sure that we continue to switch things up on them help them work on those things that they want to while at camp. This first night this week was a bit challenging as a couple of the girls had a lot of homework and had to stay up late, then wake up early to get it done. We are excited for the rest of the week and are glad that we will probably get to camp out tomorrow because the weather has been pretty nice this week.
   

A Morning in the Snow

A wildflower in the snow.

Three of the four bird feeders we hung.

On Monday morning we woke up to snow here at Pfeifer Camp. It was expected in the forecast, and the weatherman was right! After bundling up in our cabin and stoking the fire, we headed out on our trip down to breakfast. While we were eating our syrupy pancakes we were told that class was postponed for an hour so that we could play in the snow. We were also given one mission: Make bird feeders using paper plates and yarn. Our girls are always up for a mission, and successfully made some inventive feeders. We hung them on a couple of trees by the two main paths through camp.

The big snowball and one of the bird feeders.

Our mini-snowmen village.

After hanging our feeders we went to PLAY in the snow. Although there really wasn't enough snow to make snow angels in, they sure had fun making mini snowmen. One girl even managed to make a pretty big snowball- with a bit of help from her cabin mates- and she put it in a stump to see how long it would take it to melt. We had a grand adventure, and all of the girls went to class that morning with a smile on their face and a story to tell. By the time we were on the porch getting ready for class the snow was pretty much melting and the precipitation coming down was a light sleet. Either way though, all the kids had a wonderful time and the small bit of snow was much appreciated.

we made the news!

Pfeifer Camp Graduation on the news! Check it out people! What they don't cover in this video is how we had the President and CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Sherece West speak at graduation. She was the most moving speaker that we have had in my opinion. She really understood what these kids go through and the amazing experience they had while at Pfeifer Camp.

Success Story II

Liberation

Being asked to read a book aloud in front of one’s peers is a daunting task for a fourth grader. The pure fear and anxiety created by this request during reading group brings about behaviors that often make getting through a page of the book difficult. First, there is the moment of shock on their face, followed by a big gulp, then finally a quick look around at the faces of their peers waiting for them to start. For most students I have worked with this is a rather quick and painless process, resulting in a new confidence in their reading ability. For Khari though, this challenge was more for him to handle than the average student. Khari’s first several attempts all ended about the same- with him shutting down and quitting. Khari often got through about five sentences before one of his classmates would kindly ask him to read a little bit louder because they couldn’t follow along with him because he was too quiet. This act of shutting down was a pattern that Khari exhibited at other times during class, and therefore I had a bit more patience with him. After about the third time of this happening it occurred to me that we were reading the most perfect book because the main character had intense fears that his best friend was helping him overcome. In The Liberation of Gabriel King, Gabe’s friend Frita helps him overcome his fears one-by-one by making him face his fears slowly and steadily. Frita declares it her mission to help “liberate” Gabe from his fears. I decided during reading group that I was going to do my best to liberate Khari from his fear of reading aloud during reading group. At first, Khari was not excited about this plan. After a bit of consideration and reassurance on my end, he accepted my proposal to face his fear. During reading group, while the rest of the group worked on a worksheet, he would read aloud only to me. At first he was very apprehensive, but I could see his confidence growing the more he read to me. After about the third time he and I read together, he told me that he was ready to read aloud to the group. On the last week of reading group, Khari raised his hand to read and began in a new and self-assured voice. I could see the surprise of his group mates immediately. After he had finished reading, one of his group members raised their hand and told him how good of a reader he was. Khari thanked them with a bashful smile, and his cheeks got a bit red with embarrassment. After reading group that day he thanked me for helping him to overcome his fear, and I in turn thanked him for being so brave. Just like Gabriel King, Khari had a great fear that made it difficult for him to function. With a friend to guide him and provide support, Khari was able to face his fear and find success.

Success Story from Session 1!

    From the first moment I met Destiny I suspected she would be one of the most challenging in our cabin. To say that she had a strong personality would be an understatement. She was hard-headed, not afraid to speak her mind, and was in constant need of attention. During her first week at camp she made quite the name for herself. Not only did she tell numerous lies about her cabin mates; toward the end of the week,  one of her cabin mates was assigned to keep track of her because the sight of every little bug and the sound of every rustle in the leaves would distract her away from the group. In fact, her behavior was so extreme that we were afraid we would have to ask her not to come back to camp because she was so hard to handle. While discussing this possibility with Destiny it became immediately clear that she really wanted to stay at camp and work on her behavior. She loved everything about the outdoors and by talking with her family about having her medicine at camp, she was able to come back and work on what she needed to so that she could function positively within the group. As soon as she arrived at camp the Sunday of the second week, her demeanor had changed dramatically. Upon entering the cabin, she immediately made apologies to the cabin mates she had upset and set goals for herself. Her positive consequence for following through on these goals were often outdoors oriented. She absolutely loved cooking during campout, and by making good choices she basically cooked the cabin’s dinner over the fire on the third week by herself. The most dramatic sign of her transformation while at camp occurred during the last couple hours of her session at camp during a team building activity. The activity required that the girls work together to move long poles that they were standing on by holding on to ropes attached to the poles and lifting their right foot then left foot. We split the cabin into two groups and made it a race. At first Destiny’s group was really struggling and it didn’t seem like they would get anywhere without arguing. After the initial leader of her group gave up, Destiny stepped up and successfully led the group across the finish line first. Her achievement didn’t stop there; when she noticed the other group was still struggling she offered her help and lead them across the line as well. When given the chance to work on her behavior and receive positive consequences Destiny thrived and found a healthy outlet for her energy in outdoor activities. Pfeifer Camp gave her the chance to succeed by giving her the opportunity to make up for her mistakes and explore the things about herself that made her a leader.