A Message From Sollie Clark
***** Video of my time in camp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQD9Kw6KC2s&t=87s *****
I found my passion for volunteering when my first foster mom used to bring my sister and I to help at the Special Olympics of Long Beach. This experience was special to me, as my foster mom’s nephew had ASD and would compete in some of their sporting events while we were there. From then on, I began volunteering at homeless shelters, hospitals, middle schools, and more!
During my 2nd year at UCLA, I became a counselor for UCLA's primary student philanthropy since 1934, UniCamp. Unicamp has given thousands of underserved youth in LA County an immersive outdoor experience that most inner city youth can only imagine. My first session, Transitional Youth Empowerment, was specific to foster youth in the area, which was especially important to me — as a former foster youth myself. Understanding what it is like to be in "the system," I knew that a camp such as this would have been extremely beneficial to me and my little sister. Throughout some of the most difficult times in my childhood, it was the incredible mentors I had that helped me persevere. Being able to mentor youth facing similar obstacles that I once did has given me a bigger purpose, and has shown me what incredible good can come from a handful of people who are passionate about making a difference. After my first week of volunteering, I couldn't get enough and even went back up to help with another session. Aside from the benefits of working with these children, this organization has brought me to some of the closest friends I have ever had. Four years and several sessions later, UniCamp continues to be my favorite part of every summer!
After my first year as a Classic Camp counselor and Dance specialist, I was selected as a member of leadership for the 2020 camp season! While we were disappointed that camp had to be done virtually, we still trained 40+ UCLA students as volunteers and helped them lead a week of camp for the Horace Mann school. Our AcademiCamp session focused specifically on teaching youth Social-Emotional Learning, or SEL. Though virtual camp was nothing like our normal camp season, we realized that, given the uncertainty and loneliness of that time, holding any form of summer camp was more important than ever.
This last summer, I returned to camp, but as a Session Program Director (SPD), and was in charge of the 6th camp session! This session, CFE (Camp Fostering Equality), had a mission to serve LGBTQ+ and foster youth in the Los Angeles area. While training our volunteers, we focused on how to work with youth impacted by the child welfare system, identifying micro-aggressions toward LGBTQ+ & foster youth, and so much more. We were able to incorporate these trainings into session-specific programs, such as The Genderbread Person. I was so happy to see campers from my first camp session in 2019!
For the upcoming 2022 camp season, I am returning again as the Session Program Director for CFE, which will be the 1st session of the summer. I have three wonderful Head Counselors working alongside me (Todoroki, Kiki, and Book), all of which are equally excited to get the ball rolling and begin training our volunteers! This year, we are partnering more closely with on-campus organizations that align with our mission, so we will be even more prepared to implement this mission for the second year in a row.
Similarly to the last couple years, I need your help to fundraise! The $500 helps subsidize the cost of camp for each camper, to make the experience more accessible to these marginalized youth. Any amount you are willing to donate is helpful, and I am so thankful for your contributions! It truly means the world to me :)
Much Woodsey Love,
Lilo (Lil’ O)
