Camp is full of people behind the scenes that make camp great. After seeing the photo here, I thought it would be fun to talk about two of them.

These two women are intertwined in an odd way.

Both of them first arrived at Camp Champions in 2009. One, Amira Ma’am, was only 9 years old when she arrived. She had no idea of the songs or traditions of camp. She came to camp to have fun and make friends.

The other, Leah Ma’am, was 25 years old. She came to be a leader. She had no idea of the songs and traditions of camp. She joined us to change lives and live her mission.

Leah Ma’am remembers meeting Amira Ma’am at a camp Open House.

It is fun to think about how much each has grown.

Amira Ma’am went from a little girl to the head of our media department. When you see the daily photos, she is the leader that made sure that we got the pictures. In the fall, your child will receive a massive color yearbook (last year was 224 pages) to commemorate the summer. In the winter, you will get a video yearbook of each session.

These massive projects require a lot of coordination and work. Of course, Amira Ma’am is not the only person taking the photos or video, but she oversees the efforts.

So, when she was young, we helped make her feel comfortable. Now she is doing the same for you.

Leah Ma’am has also had an amazing path. In the past 11 summers, she has accomplished a great deal:

• Earned her Masters in Social Work from UT
• Established the Champions Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) that helps children attend camp.
• Became a yoga instructor
• Had a daughter
• Made our counselor recruiting an international affair
• Helped us become recognized as an Exemplar in 21st Century Learning
• Had a son
• Helped make hundreds of girls more confident and happier

We have so many unsung heroes at camp. I am thrilled to celebrate these two and I hope you realize that there are almost 100 more that make camp better every day.

Steve Sir