No Sleeves Magic Camp: A Life-Changing Experience by Emily

No Sleeves Magic Camp: A Life-Changing Experience by Emily - January 2017 Scholarship Essay

For the past eight summers, I have gone to No Sleeves Magic Camp. It seems like a nerdy place where all the non-athletic kids go to fit in; however, this camp changed me. When I aged out in 2013, I applied to become and was selected as a Junior Counselor.
Working as a Junior Counselor, I formed bonds with many children. I became everything from a companion to a teacher to a listener to a role model. There were children who told me their secrets and trusted me to help. There were even children who, when asked their favorite part of camp, would say my name.
Throughout the years, I grew more confident. I would lead activities, teach magic tricks, and even perform as a character. It was outstanding to think that I had developed into such a valuable team member. I still remember performing my last trick as a camper, being terrified standing in front of everyone. Now I perform tricks daily for sixty people at a time! It was that development that led the director to promote me to a senior counselor at age sixteen, a job typically reserved for eighteen-year-olds.
No Sleeves Magic Camp has helped me realize the profound impact that I have on the children’s lives, and the even more profound impact they have on mine. It is incredible to see children that remember me after several years call my name and hug me. From the little girls who come back to camp and ask excitedly, “Do you remember me?” to the older campers that say goodbye, too old to return the next year, I always remember everyone that I encounter through my work. No Sleeves Magic Camp has inspired me to continue helping people and changing their lives for the better, as well as to continue serving the children (and parents) in my community.