By Brittany Lenhart, Anaf Unit Head

This is my 15th summer at GUCI. It all started back in 1997 when my parents sent me here for the first time as a Garin camper. I do not have many memories from those early summers on camp, but I do know that my love for this place and community grew by leaps and bounds each summer. I have two sisters who also came to GUCI as campers and staff members, and we grew up as the only Jewish kids in our school system. I felt proud to be Jewish because of the summers I spent here learning about our tribe and making friends with other Jewish children. I was on staff as a counselor for three years and then I was the Unit Head for Gezah, before I took a few summers to myself to travel and accomplish other goals, such as riding my bicycle from Maine to Florida and being accepted to graduate school. In the Fall I will begin a Masters of Education in International Education at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

After five summers away from GUCI, I returned to staff this summer for one main reason: to work with my campers who are now staff members. That’s right, my K’ton campers are in Avodah, my Shoresh campers are senior counselors and song leaders, and my Gezah campers are working beside me as Unit Heads. I thought it would be a great experience to be able to continue mentoring and getting to know them as we grow together in leadership at camp. This summer I am serving camp as the Anaf Unit Head, where I get to work with campers going into their 9th and 10th grade years in school. So far, our summer has been a blast. I end each Evening Program by telling them how proud we are of them and how valuable and loved they are in this camp community. It is my pleasure to be here and to let you know the important role GUCI has played in my life.