A Message From Cailin Lechner
I’ve been a camp kid my whole life. During school breaks, I attended YMCA day camps where I expressed myself creatively, challenged myself physically, and refined my teamwork skills. Most importantly, camp taught me the importance of pushing beyond my comfort zone. As a shy young’un, making friends was fairly nerve-racking. But a camp environment comes with a sense of unity that welcomes everyone to share their stories without judgement. It’s a place where the fear of feeling vulnerable becomes a little less evident. In high school, I returned to these camps as a volunteer counselor and had the privilege of guiding similar empowering experiences among elementary and middle school students. Now as a college undergrad, the spirit of camp is calling my name once again, and I’ll be spending a week this summer with UniCamp!
As UCLA’s official charity, UniCamp seeks to inspire the students of under-resourced LA communities through a week of ~*Woodsey Magic*~. UniCamp consists of seven week-long sessions, each with its own unique initiative. As part of Session Expression, my fellow volunteers and I aim to stimulate student creativity and personal growth through various art mediums. In order to alleviate the financial burden for the campers, each UCLA volunteer must raise a minimum of $500! If you are able, please contribute what you can! Every student deserves the opportunity to discover and present their artistic talents, and camp is the perfect place to do it.