We are excited to announce the winners of our 2026 Summer Camp Essay Contest. We asked you to submit your true, personal camp stories–and you delivered. We had so much fun reading through your memories and reflections. Congratulations to the winner of our adult category, Erin Erickson of Charlottesville, VA, and the winner of our youth category, Adam Paul of Ashburn, VA. 

Adult Division Winner: Erin Erickson 

Charlottesville, VA

I didn’t always feel lucky to be a camp kid.

Growing up, I went to Triple C Day Camp every summer, and at the time, I had mixed feelings about it. A lot of my friends traveled with their families or stayed home all summer, and I remember feeling jealous of that freedom. Camp felt scheduled and routine, while everyone else seemed to be doing something more exciting. It wasn’t until much later that I realized how much those summers gave me.

Triple C filled my days with things I still remember clearly today. I spent hours making crafts and learning new patterns for coveted friendship bracelets and “gimp”, carefully weaving each tiny strand like it really mattered. I learned how to play basketball games like “knock out” and “HORSE,” always accompanied by a new, brightly colored pair of Converse “chuck taylor” high tops. We discovered new books and music as we put on our own plays and dance routines to songs like “I Saw the Sign” and music from Clueless, learning how to perform, laugh at ourselves, and try something new.

Some of my best memories happened outdoors. We played capture the flag with camp counselors from all over the world who felt impossibly cool and interesting. We wandered into the woods catching salamanders and frogs, building forts, and exploring trails that felt endless. Every week had a theme, and my little sister and I took costume planning very seriously—looping my parents in to help us come up with creative ideas. Even the bus ride into camp stands out: bouncing along the gravel path, trying to hit the perfect moment of airtime at the big bump at the bottom of the hill.

Camp was also where friendships formed naturally. Some of my closest friends either attended with me or became friends once we were there, bonded by learning new skills over long summer days. Years later, at a completely new job, a coworker casually pulled out an old photo. It was a group shot from Triple C—taken long before cell phones or social media—of dozens of kids sitting outside of the main cabin. And there we were, both of us, frozen in time among that group. Making that connection years later felt surreal and reminded me how small and meaningful those shared experiences really were.

As we got older at camp, we were given more responsibility. One summer, we planned and ran a carnival for the younger campers. We organized games, managed cotton candy and popcorn stations, filled the dunk tank, and executed a full event from start to finish. At the time, it just felt fun and important. Looking back now, I can clearly see how moments like that set the foundation for my event planning skills and eventually my career. Camp taught me how to organize, collaborate, and lead—without me even realizing it.

There were also traditions that tied everything together: singing the camp song, learning color guard and how to raise the flag each morning, horseback riding and connecting with the animals, swimming, water play days, splashing in the creek and pool, and even learning archery. As older campers, we participated in weekly field trips and community service projects—helping at places like the Salvation Army or Walnut Creek Park—before ending the week roller skating or visiting a nearby laser tag arcade.

The full-circle moment came years later when my daughter attended Triple C for the first time. My mom came with us to the open house, and standing there together was emotional in a way I didn’t expect. So much looked the same, even after 30+ years. Watching my daughter light up with excitement—and sharing one of the old camp songs with the current counselors—made me realize how deeply camp is tied to my idea of summer, belonging, and growth.

Triple C didn’t just fill my summers. It gave me confidence, friendships, skills, and memories that followed me into adulthood. Now, seeing my children experience that same magic feels incredibly special—and reminds me just how lucky I really was.

Youth Division Winner: Adam Paul

Ashburn, Virginia 

For a little less than half of my life I have been attending Serve Camp, a Christian-based summer camp focused on teaching youth to make positive impacts on their community while understanding the message of Jesus Christ. Serve Camp has molded me into the person I am today, teaching me copious life lessons and what it means to serve. However, the moment at Serve Camp that shaped me the most happened in a hot parking lot next to the local Roy Rogers, holding a dripping sponge, trying to convince drivers to stop for the famous car wash. We do the car wash every year at camp, designed to give out free car washes to all who pass by. But since its inception, the community has always wanted to donate back. It was later decided that the car wash would be kept free but money donated would be collected and given to a special cause. This year’s goal was to raise funds for women staying in a domestic abuse shelter, money that would be used to create care baskets with essential supplies.

Standing in the sun for hours, I started paying attention to every car that pulled in. When someone handed me a ten or twenty dollar bill and said, “keep the change,” it hit me that this wasn’t just fundraising but each dollar meant more resources for women trying to rebuild their lives. Some people rolled down their windows just to ask what we were raising money for, their expressions changing when we told them the cause. A few thanked us, while others shared words of encouragement and wisdom. These short interactions stayed with me because I realized service isn’t one-sided and that the people donating weren’t just helping strangers but were instead shaping me by showing what generosity looks like in real life. 

Later that day, walking through Dollar-Tree, picking out shampoo, socks, and toiletries for the care baskets, I felt that same feeling; the realization I was making a genuine difference and that these women weren’t statistics or just a cause anymore, but were real people, just like the ones who had handed us crumpled up bills in the parking lot. Instead of tossing random items into my baskets, I slowed down and debated what would actually be useful or comforting, trying to imagine what someone might want after leaving behind everything familiar to them. Even though I would never meet the women receiving the baskets, I felt an emotional connection to them and putting the items together made service feel real, not disconnected. 

This experience was more than a day at summer camp but a day that changed how I approach service and my life. It taught me that life isn’t always about what I give, but about the people I meet along the way. They change me and I impact them. Our community, the women receiving the care bags, and my friends beside me all shaped that day and, in doing so, shaped me. I will be forever grateful for the chance I have had to be a part of the Serve Camp community and all those in it, around it, and benefitting from it.