Duffield has been a very important place to me throughout my life. Some of my earliest memories of summer involve swimming in the pond and walking through the woods. Being a camper at Duffield is a memory I have from the earliest years I can bring to mind. In the early 90s when my mother was the cook for the camp I can remember being free to wander the camp and investigate all the trails and the buildings and all the hidden places of the camp that only I know of. There were hours spent around the campfires singing my favorite songs and roasting marshmallows with dozens of kids my age. I still recall the countless hours of games and fun and learning.

I can recall the days when it rained, sitting in the lodge playing the simple games that I taught to my campers years later when I was old enough to be a counselor. And likewise, there were so many first experiences I had as a child that I was then able to share with kids as a leader at the camp. With time I saw the young children whom I watched over grow up to become good, strong and wonderful adults themselves. These people who now are passing on the traditions and activities that I introduced them too, now bring that delight to the next generation as the current counselors.

There is a special bond that develops between people and the places they grow up. Every year of my life sees me returning to this beautiful corner of God?s creation where those who are busy and troubled and overwhelmed by life can come to escape from the hassles, pains and difficulties. I have dedicated more of my life to this camp than to any other endeavor in my years. This place has been constant shelter and sanctuary to return to, despite the ever-shifting climate of the world around it. Regardless of differences and disagreements between people, both young and old have been able to come into this environment of love and understanding and feel welcome. The goal of community and growth together permeates the character of every person that sets foot on this property.

It would be impossible for me to envision my life without Duffield as a part of it. From the time I was 12 years old and sitting around the campfire singing songs with my heroes, the counselors, I have said that someday I would run this camp. It has been my goal in life to do nothing other than prepare myself to operate this camp that has been such an influence in my life. As soon as I turned 18 in 1999 I applied to be a counselor, I had volunteered, for years before, to be a counselor in training at ages 15, 16 and 17 to prepare myself. In 2000 I was made the ropes course director, a position I held until 2003 when I moved up to program director. In 2004 I was living in Los Angeles, California working on my Master?s degree and took a week off in the summer to return to Duffield and volunteer as a director for a week. I have since returned for a week at a time, every year, to volunteer and share my life?s experiences with the campers that are there now. I have learned more about life from the summers at this camp than all my years of schooling combined. I have learned more about myself than anything else in the world could ever teach me. And every summer I return to the only place that through my whole life has ever truly felt like home.