In 2012, I was a camper, bright eyed, a little awkward, and ready to be a leader. At the time, that just meant being the student council president one day. While I expected (and was honestly excited for) focused workshops on how to be a role model and set goals, I was welcomed with beaming smiles and the first glimpse of community. It was the first time I was asked to practice empathy as a tool for change.
The friendships made were living and evolving proof of transformational leadership, of connecting with those around you and building something bigger from it. This camp planted a seed, the idea that leadership isn’t a position to occupy, but a reflection of your community. I come back to camp year after year to help that seed grow. In 2015, I launched the YES Project to answer young peoples' call for action.
