Aria

Every summer since she was 5, Aria looks forward to the same thing. YMCA Camp. 

As she outgrew one camp, she simply moved into the next: Adventure Camp, Sports Camp and, eventually, Camp Hyde. Now 14 years old, she plans to keep going for as long as she can. 

For Aria's family, the YMCA offered a safe, dependable place for working parents to send their kids. What they didn't expect was how much camp would shape who Aria would become. 

From the very beginning, camp felt familiar. Staff members knew her by name, remembered her year after year, and welcomed her back each summer. That consistency helped create a place where she always felt like she belonged. 

"Mr. Paul has known Aria for so long," her mom says. "We're so appreciative that she has familiar faces as she goes through all these steps." 

She also credits the Andover YMCA Site Director Kellen Potter and the camp staff for creating an environment where every child feels known. 

Before camp, Aria wasn't especially interested in the outdoors. Today, she prefers being outside over sitting in front of a screen. While many teenagers spend hours each day on their phones, Aria would rather be exploring trails, fishing, riding mountain bikes or discovering something new outside. 

Camp even changed the way she approaches challenges. 

One day, after finding a broken fishing rod, she tied it to a stick so she could keep fishing anyway and even caught a fish doing so! 

"It gave her the skills to improvise and adapt," her mom says. 

Each morning, she gets herself ready for the day, packs her own lunch and takes responsibility for preparing for camp. She has become increasingly independent and is already talking about the possibility of becoming a counselor-in-training and eventually a camp counselor herself. 

"She talks about camp all year," her mom says. "She'll say, 'Oh my gosh, I can't wait to go back to Camp Hyde.' " 

Camp has become a place where Aria can unplug from the pressures of everyday life and simply be a kid. 

"It's like she checks out of the world and checks into camp life," her mom explains. "It's 100% worth every minute and every penny. You get to watch your child become more kid-like again. Don't rush them growing up. It's worth the experience."