Star of the Sea

One night, when Nina, Savannah and I were suffering from ultimate Camp Stella Maris nostalgia, we decided on a whim to drive to 45 minutes away and watch the sunset from our favorite place in the world. Although the experience was peaceful, it was nowhere near satisfying. Camp was empty. The cabins, the playground, the Wegman House, Peggy’s Café, Bings Barn… It was all there, but it was meaningless. It did nothing to suppress the feeling of a hole in my chest because the life-changing people creating life-long memories were missing. The bubble of magic which usually separates camp from the outside world was gone; there was no significant difference between camp and the rest of East Lake Road.

Author Robin Hobb once wrote one of the few things I know to be true: “home is people. Not a place. If you go back there after the people are gone, then all you can see is what is not there anymore.” Though Camp Stella Maris sits upon the beautiful Conesus Lake, where the sunsets will take your breath away, the location is not the reason Stella Maris has had an overwhelming impact on my life: it’s the people.

Every summer at Camp Stella Maris has offered me a new sense of perspective, teaching me more than I could ever learn at school. Five years as a camper taught me to break out of my shell, and to never be afraid of being who I am. Two weeks as a leader-in-training showed me the beauty of individualism and, believe it or not, school. One week as a counselor-in-training followed by two weeks as an intern opened my eyes to the reality that working at camp meant that I had to make the magic, it would no longer be made for me. This new role grew this past summer as a camp counselor, as I went through a nine-week personal transformation, with help from my new family. The CSM staff helped me to discover who I am and who I want to be. The person I am sometimes feels paradoxical, but my experiences with the camp staff have helped me to figure myself out.

I play like a four year-old, but converse like an 85 year-old. I watch cartoons, but I listen to NPR. I’m afraid of growing up, but I get mad at people who act immaturely. I love to learn, but I want to help others to do so. I want to provide information for people who want to broaden their knowledge. I want to keep people updated on the problems in our society so they can form opinions about and help solve these problems. I can and will do this, because the CSM staff showed me that I can be whoever I want to be, as long as I do it with confidence.

The Camp Stella Maris staff is a group of people who have evolved from being my role models to being my family. While these inspirational, beautiful human beings still astonish me every day with their creativity and genuine personalities, this past summer showed me that I somehow fit in with these wonderful people. They see great potential in me and motivate me to live up to that potential, which is something I never would have accomplished without the confidence they gave me through their support. These people, myself included, are what make Camp Stella Maris a magical place, where the “camp bubble” allows all children to take a break from the outside world. Without us, camp is just a plot of land.

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