Farm & Wilderness Blog

Future IB staff with an IB past (Part 1) - Farm & Wilderness

Written by Kory Mathis | April 21, 2011

I’ve collected quotes from applications from former IB campers.  They’ve been inspiring for me as I plan for my first summer at Indian Brook.

“‘Hey Mom! So its rest hour–I’m curled up amidst six stuffed animals, getting high off the joy of being back in the wonderful environment of Indian Brook. Boy is it good to be back!’ And so begins one of the almost 70 letters I wrote to my mother over the course of five years as a camper at Indian Brook. In considering why I wanted to work at F&W, I embarked on a day long journey to uncover and read all of these letters. From the detailed account of the view atop Camel’s Hump to the mouth-watering description of a particularly tasty Indian Brook lunch (“tomato and basil salad, marinated chicken, mashed potatoes and homemade sun tea”), images of my joyous times at camp flooded back. Indian Brook saw me through my childhood. I can see this in my letters; from the excited scrawl of my nine year old self, to the dramatic cursive of eleven and finally to the efficient, mature print that still marks my handwriting today. Indian Brook has both influenced and witnessed some of the most important stages of my life. Indian Brook’s values of interdependence, community, sustainability, diversity, body acceptance and environmental consciousness have continued to shape my identity and the choices I make. These values that are now integrated into who I am as an adult are important! As a potential staff member at F&W I am not only excited to once again enter the amazing world that is camp but am also eager to instill the values that so influenced me, in future campers.”

Check back in for more inspiring quotes from former campers.