Monthly Archives:September 2025

Love at First Try

Imagine you are 7 years old and visiting your grandparents who have a cabin on a lake in Northern Wisconsin. You decide to put on a pair of waterskis and hold onto a rope tied behind a boat. The boat takes off and you come out of the water smiling (maybe after a few face plants), and you are hooked. The thrill, the challenge, the satisfaction of nailing a jump or getting a faster time. You love water-skiing and want to figure out how to engage in this sport as much as possible.

For Lauren Connelly, former Woodland camper and counselor (all she needs is one more summer to get her 5 yr pendant!), water-skiing is a passion that has been fueled in so many interesting ways. This school year, Lauren was awarded the Barbara Bolding Jim Grew Scholarship, USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Foundation’s top scholarship and is President of the NCWSA (National Club Waterski Association) Club team in her area.

Sand Lake Lessons

During her time at Woodland, Lauren would sit on the dock every day during Rec Swim and patiently wait her turn for a spin around the lake. She started on two skis and eventually progressed to being able to drop a ski, then get up slalom. Lauren practiced cutting in and out of the wake, putting the rope between her legs, lifting a ski, and other skills that she mastered while as a camper. During her two years as a counselor, she taught campers how to do those same skills.

College Club Team

Lauren now competes in 3-event water-skiing which includes a slalom course, jump and trick skiing.

• Slalom, is where skiers run passes of a course made of 6 turns. There are 3 turns to either side of the boat with an entry and exit gate. Boat speed is increased, or the rope length shortened after each successfully completed pass. Skiers continue until they miss one of the turn buoys.
• Jump is where skiers have 3 attempts to go as far as possible, their longest jump counts for scoring, and the furthest distance wins (Lauren’s average is 50 ft, and her best is 55 ft).
• The Trick event has 2 passes of 20 seconds, where the skier must perform as many tricks as possible to accumulate points (Lauren is currently working on her back flip).

Beyond Skiing: Boat Driver and Maintenance Upkeep

Lauren tries to practice skiing every day and often gets up early to get time on the water. She is also a certified boat driver and as Club President finds herself frequently driving so that her teammates get in their practice time, too. Lauren knows how to change the oil and replace the steering cables on a boat in addition to taking care of some other maintenance needs to keep the boat in tip-top shape.

West Coast and Tennessee Adventures

Last fall (2024), Lauren spent a semester at Cal Poly (CA) in the National Student Exchange program, an in-country exchange. The decision to head to the west coast was an easy one. Lauren wanted to go somewhere different from the midwest so she could go to the beach to surf and enjoy mountain views. Joining the Club Ski Team there was an easy way to make friends; she even spent 2 weeks in CA this summer visiting people and seeing more of CA (LA, San Diego, and San Francisco). This past summer, Lauren worked in Hillsboro, TN (outside of Nashville) where she drove a boat for clients and coached skiing lessons for Swerve Watersports. 

Going All In 

Lauren is all about putting yourself out there and putting in everything you have into whatever you do. She goes all in. Even when she was young, Lauren was seeking opportunities. At some point, she decided that she wanted to give camp a try, and she went for it. She found Woodland online, sent an email, and was a camper for 2 summers. She believes she can figure it out when she gets to any new place. Camp was a good place for Lauren to flex her confidence and independence muscles!

Lauren is a firm believer that each year is different and that by putting effort into something new, you can inspire and encourage others. Your attitude (positive or negative) definitely plays a huge part in the attitudes of those around you. Lauren lived in a cabin with older girls during her 2 years as a counselor and was keenly aware of this on a daily basis!

What’s Next?: Two Passions, One Journey

Lauren is a senior at Iowa State University pursuing a mechanical engineering degree and is set to graduate in the fall of 2026. She plans to do one more semester at Cal Poly with their exchange program to see if California is somewhere she would like to live long term. Lauren loves the problem solving aspect of mechanical engineering; her dream job would be to combine her passion/hobby with her career and work for a company like Mastercraft Ski Boats or to pursue something related to marine technology. The ski boats used to pull skiers on slalom and jump courses used in the events Lauren trains for and competes in are quite sophisticated. How cool would that be if Lauren could actually be part of a team that keeps improving the design of those watercraft!

From Camp to Career: come join us! If you are or know an emerging leader who is wanting to explore personal and professional skill development, we invite you to let us know HERE (first time staff members) or RETURN staff (have been on staff at least one previous summer).

Someone shared an article in Outside Magazine a few weeks ago: “Can a Campfire Improve Your Mental Health? Many Therapists Say Yes.” To summarize the piece, therapists and nonprofits are using campfires to help a variety of folks (teens included) open up about their struggles. And the science backs it up. A 2014 study found that sitting around a fire decreases blood pressure, fosters relaxation, and improves social connection.

There was no surprise here, of course, because we’ve been seeing this exact thing at Woodland and Towering Pines for decades. With the one difference being, we don’t call it “therapy”.

For us, it’s just part of the natural cadence of the day.

Things start to wind down after an exciting day, the wood goes into the circle, a staff member lights a match, songs get sung, and skits are performed. Then, when the fire dies down and the embers are glowing, a story is read, voices get quieter, conversations go deeper, and the stars are starting to make their appearance.

All of that science from above is happening in the standard order of things here.

What Else Counts as “Therapy”?

If we’re going to start calling campfires “therapy,” what else at camp deserves this newly expanded label? Don’t get us wrong…we are a huge supporter of high-quality therapy. It changes lives every day.

When we walk around Woodland or TP on any given day, we see dozens of moments that could probably justify their own research studies and fancy therapeutic labels.

Moments that look completely ordinary. Kids being kids. Counselors being counselors. Summer unfolding as it always does.

So let’s take a look at some other forms of therapy that we apparently offer.

Walking-Across-Camp-With-A-Friend Therapy.

Watch any path between activities. Two kids, maybe three, just walking and talking. No destination pressure. No agenda. Just the simple act of moving together, conversations flowing as naturally as their footsteps.

Where else does this happen anymore without someone checking a phone? It involves being present. Physically close. Eye contact. Connection.

Your-Age-Doesn’t-Matter Therapy

Our oldest campers hanging out with our youngest campers. Teaching them archery strategies. Showing them the best spot to catch a fish. Sharing their camp memories and lighting a fire of excitement that burns all summer for our newest campers.

Where else in their lives do kids get this? Maybe from a particularly loving older sibling or cousin, but teenagers can be inward-gazing.

Older campers live for these interactions. They can’t wait to take on these roles. Just older kids who genuinely want to share what they know with the next generation.

Canoeing-To-Nowhere Therapy

A counselor and a couple of campers in a canoe. Not racing. Not trying to reach the other shore. Just paddling, floating, talking.

The point isn’t Point A to Point B. The point is doing something together. Being on the water with time to think, talk about whatever, and laugh together.

Family-Style-Meal Therapy

Three times a day. All summer long. Kids and counselors passing platters, pouring drinks for each other, negotiating who gets the last piece of garlic bread.

As parents with impossible family schedules, we struggle to manage this once or twice a week with all that’s happening. At camp, we do it for every single meal. No screens. Just faces across the table.

Looking-At-Moon/Stars Therapy

This might be our favorite. Kids stop and look up to see the Milky Way splashed across the sky. Or they may see the moon blazing a trail across Nokomis or Sand Lake.

Feeling small and part of something so much bigger in the best possible ways.

The Real Point

These aren’t programs we’ve developed or initiatives we’ve launched. They’re just…camp at Woodland and Towering Pines.

No marketing committee designed “Walking-With-A-Friend Therapy.”

No consultant suggested we optimize our canoeing program for therapeutic outcomes.

These moments happen at Woodland and TP because this is how humans naturally connect when given time, space, and freedom from the usual pressures. Just kids and counselors at camp.

You can’t improve on a campfire.

There’s no technological upgrade for looking at the stars.

What looks like a normal day at camp is actually something increasingly rare: time for real human connection. And yes, it’s deeply restorative. The scientists are just catching up to what we’ve always known.

Thank you for choosing this path for your children for this summer and summers to come.

For understanding that 6 weeks of “just camp” might be exactly what they need.

Your kids are getting the gift of a million moments that truly build them up and help them to grow as human beings, all disguised as the best summer ever.

They don’t know that walking with friends or sharing family meals is good for their mental health.

They just know they’re happy.

With gratitude for all of our campfires and the girls and staff that make them so special! We hope your daughter/s will join us in 2026 for sitting by the campfire, walking with friends of all ages, eating family style, gazing at the stars, and SO. MUCH. MORE.

Reference: KE newsletter/blog

I had the pleasure of interviewing Isabella Scarpelli recently about her journey to pursue flight school at Southern Illinois University where she is currently in her second year. Isabella spent 6 years as a Woodland camper/CIT and has been on staff for 2 years so far (we hope she is able to come back for many more!). Isabella is extremely versatile when it comes to teaching activities and this summer was found helping out at Farm Zoo or the barn and assisting in swimming or canoeing. The activity she is most known for; however, happens at the Rec Hall every 4th hour. Isabella is a superstar when it comes to rewriting and directing plays for each 2-week session! The final show, “Clue” was a true testimony to her amazing talents (along with co-director, Lizzy Germann).

I invite you to jump into the interview with me:

The Spark to Soar: what drew Isabella to aviation 

As many high school students often find, there are moments of freaking out during junior year because it is hard to land on the one thing you are interested in enough to want to spend the next 4 years studying/doing that thing. Isabella went down a list of possibilities, thought about it a lot, and was intrigued by aviation as a potential career.

She did some research and felt that she could be successful in that environment and decided to give it a try. Isabella likes to be in motion whether in a car, plane, or boat, and has never been afraid of flying (a definite plus!). She was pretty set on that path once she made up her mind that was what she wanted to do (not to say that she didn’t have her moments of doubt before actually landing at SIU). 

Isabella also shared that she still has her moments of uncertainty, and she is able to ground herself knowing that she is surrounded by others in the same boat (or plane!) and is able to get perspectives and support from fellow students and instructors. Isabella is actually pursuing TWO degrees – one in flying and the other in aviation management.

Isabella finds herself taking classes such as Current Aviation Management Practices (what’s happening in the industry right now), Aviation Writing and Communication (writing about industry trends), and Aviation Weather (always good to know visibility, wind speed and direction, and other details that can affect your flight). She completed the stage check for her first flight course and has started on the next one. Isabella is currently halfway finished with the requirements needed to get her Private Pilots License.

From Camp to Cockpit: skills that are coming in handy in flight school

The biggest skill for Isabella is focus. She offered that it comes natural to her as she gets very locked in and focused once she is in flight mode. When she steps onto the airfield, Isabella can’t think about anything else. She is 100% “all in.” Once on the ground, it always strikes Isabella how focused she was leading up to and throughout the flight.

Because Isabella values being places on time and timeliness, this helps her wade through the long list of things she needs to get done on a daily basis. She recognizes this as part of the importance of being professional whether at camp, in the classroom, or cockpit. 

Being flexible is another skill that serves Isabella well. As a camper and counselor, Isabella is very used to how things out of your control (the weather!) can change up the daily schedule and routine. It is no different with her schedule and instructor, there are always unexpected turns and twists with how they meet up and how things get done. 

On top of focus, timeliness, and flexibility, Isabella has a strong work ethic. She spent 2 months at camp, transitioned to school at the bottom tip of Illinois in 10 days, began a full load of classes, and started a part-time job working at Starbucks.

Calm in the Clouds: flying can be so unpredictable and remaining calm under pressure is extremely important! 

There are definitely times that it gets stressful while in the air. Isabella shared that she got lost once or twice while in the practice area and didn’t know where she was to get back. It is easy to get disoriented, so in that situation, the first step is to admit to the instructor that she was lost. Easier said than done; however, the sooner that happens, the quicker things get figured out and she was back on her way to reorienting and knowing where she was. 

Other stressful situations while in the clouds is choosing the right point on land to do a maneuver off and choosing a field to make an emergency landing. This is where Isabella calls on her focus to stay calm and not get rattled or distracted.

Teamwork That Travels: both camp and aviation require strong teamwork and communication 

While Isabella has flown solo, the majority of her time in the air is spent with an instructor. She has made the comparison that communicating with her instructor in a lot of ways is like communicating with her co-counselor at camp. In order to make things happen such as takeoff, change course, or land, it is imperative to have seamless communication with the person sharing the cockpit with you. At camp, in order to take the best care of your campers or to teach an activity with another staff member, communication and collaboration are key.

Advice to Future Dreamers: wisdom from Isabella’s journey to pass along

Isabella believes that listening to and knowing and being honest with yourself is where it starts. When she began exploring options and aviation as a possible path, she would ask herself if it was realistic that she was going to succeed or not. Isabella also encourages trying out a lot of different things as she is currently doing to see what else you might like. She went to boat club mainly for sailing and she finds herself gravitating towards activities involving nature (both are missed from her days at camp!). As mentioned previously, Isabella likes to drive, and she is currently working on getting a boating license.

Isabella also recognizes that being with different groups of people helps you branch out into areas that you might not normally try. She is considering joining a shooting club that offers a variety of experiences other than the rifles she became accustomed to at Woodland. Isabella is also becoming more involved in things around aviation such as women in aviation and rush for an aviation business fraternity.

From Camp to Career: come join us! If you are or know an emerging leader who is wanting to explore personal and professional skill development, we invite you to let us know HERE (first time staff members) or RETURN staff (have been on staff at least one previous summer).