Written by Anne 'Nala' Geenen
I like to think there is an eleventh Beatitude: blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures. Every waking moment at camp is an adventure. As a camper, the counselors would never tell me what we were doing next (despite me asking every few minutes) so there were surprises around every corner. I always tried everything: archery, boating, swimming, field games, arts and crafts, and gaga ball. Days passed in the blink of an eye and I never wanted to leave when my parents picked me up on Fridays. When I turned 15, I graduated to LeaderQuest. This adventure was crazy awesome and exciting. We were given more freedom like a later bedtime and offsite trips, but with more freedom came more responsibility. We were put in charge of some activities for the younger kids. I had always considered becoming a counselor, but my two years in the LQ program solidified the idea for me. At 17, I became a junior counselor. I remember the day I checked in and got to pick my camp name. I had spent years debating, but I finally settled on Nala. Yes, from the Lion King. As a JC, I spent two weeks at camp helping the full-time counselors. The following spring, I applied and got accepted to be a counselor for Summer 2016. The summers of ’16 and ’17 have been the greatest adventures of my life. At camp, I am free to explore who I am, deepen my relationship with God, and become my true self. Working with kids has been incredibly rewarding. There are good days and bad days, obviously, but when I look back at my time spent at camp, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
I want to talk about names for a minute. Both my camp name and my confirmation name have great significance. In the Catholic church, when a follower of Jesus receives a new mission from God, he or she receives a new name. Like Saul becoming Paul, I have done this twice. When I got confirmed, I selected Saint Kateri Tekakwitha as my saint. In my mind, there was no other choice. Saint Kateri is the patron saint of children, ecology, and Camp Tekakwitha – three things I feel strongly about. When someone gets confirmed, they are sent out into the world to help spread the word of God. This was the mission for which I received the name of Kateri Tekakwitha. Then, when I was hired at Camp Tekakwitha, I received a new mission: to help my campers grow in their faith, realize their abilities and become more confident in themselves. For this mission, I received my camp name: Nala. Now, my full name is Anne Kathryn Nala Kateri Tekakwitha Geenen. And no, I don’t sign all six names when I fill out forms or credit card receipts.
My time at Camp Tekakwitha has been the single most influential thing in my life. I made lifelong friends, learned real-world skills, and had boatloads of fun. Camp Tek will always hold a special place in my heart and I thank God every day for it.
