Starr’s Camp Journey

The sun is scorching, and the pavement is hot—but counselors find comfort in the shade while campers prepare to zipline. As Starr’s camper steps up to the zipline platform, she cheers words of encouragement.

“Let’s go, Jamie! You can do it,” Starr says.

In 2004, when Victory Junction opened it gates to children, Starr was among the first campers that summer. When she arrived, however, Victory Junction was nothing like she anticipated.

“It wasn’t the ‘camp’ I imagined,” she said. “When I came here, all of the buildings were air conditioned, there was pavement – no dirt roads – and it was all clean.”

Starr was challenged to step outside of her comfort zone, even though Victory Junction didn’t have the old-fashioned cabins with bare-bones bathrooms and cots like she was expecting.

“I was not very social before Victory Junction. But after I came here, I met a lot of people who were experiencing the same things I was,” she says. “I became very social at this camp.”

Starr’s transformative journey as a camper inspired her to return and help children like her grow to be more resilient. In 2008 – after aging out – Starr returned as a volunteer, and for the last three summers, she has been working as counselor. Starr will stop at nothing to ensure that her campers are given a week of magic and adventure. Transitioning from camper to counselor has taught Starr about what it means to be humble and dedicated.

“Working here, I have learned a lot about humility,” Starr says. “Nothing comes easy, but if you put in the effort, you will get what you want. If you want to achieve something, you have to work for it.”

One of Starr’s favorite aspects of camps is seeing the growth in returning campers she has counseled.

“I love it when campers from previous years tell me something new that they did. They’re super excited, and I feel honored to be the person they come to,” she says. “They know and love me enough to share their new experiences and achievements with me.”

Through her years of experience, Starr has helped provide campers with life-changing moments and memories that will empower and encourage them to be the best they can be. She has seen many campers develop into stronger individuals and has heard their stories of achievement and success. She believes there is no place like Victory Junction.

 There isn’t much Starr doesn’t know when it comes to Victory Junction. However, explaining how important the camp is to her and countless others, is something she is still learning how to do.