We have read all of your amazing stories and viewed every beautiful picture entered for the 2021 Summer Camp Story contest. It was very difficult to choose our first and second place winners, as there were so many wonderful stories!
After reviewing all of the submissions, we are very excited to announce our First Place Winner of the 2021 Summer Story Contest:
Jhonathan Garcia Mosquera, Camp Counselor at Camp Sloane YMCA!
IENA loved Jhonathan’s analogy of the blindfold. Rather than dwelling on any challenges presented, he chose to focus his energies on overcoming obstacles and the positive impact he was making at camp. Jhonathan is planning to return to camp in 2022- we cannot wait to hear more about your experience next summer!
Congratulations to Jhonathan, and thank you for sharing your story with IENA! 🙂
When we do not know what can happen, we are vulnerable to any situation. My summer is summed up in this photo. Since one of my greatest teachings was to understand that we must learn to live in the moment, enjoy it and feel each experience. There are no bad times, just situations that challenge us to grow as human beings, as people, as camp counselors. I learned that sometimes it is better to blindfold difficulties and perceive with the other senses the greatness of being in another country, with people from different parts of the world and above all working and giving the campers moments of joy. That is why I believe that in the end putting on the blindfold helps not to look at everything in a negative way, with limitation, but rather to have the satisfaction that despite adversity you can tell yourself: I did it, I continue to do it and I will continue. For me it is not just a summer camp, for me it means one of the best stories of my life, one that begins like this with a bandage, without knowing what is going to happen, but in the end I always end up happy, with the satisfaction of having done to smile at many children, to have taught them something and contributed to their lives. This means that a part of me stays there. the children, the songs, the smell of the store, the image of the fire, all this will always haunt my mind because it is now part of my life. I think I built a story thank IENA and I want to take my blindfold in the face of difficulties to another summer and tell me in a few years, IT WAS WORTH IT!
Congratulations again to Jhonathan!
Thank you to everyone who entered their picture and shared their story with us! It was a pleasure to hear about your experiences! Don’t forget to follow us on instagram @iena_inc to see if your photo/story is highlighted!