Tues, April 7, 2026

Fifteen Summers, Thousands of Stories

At Camp Sloane, the magic of summer doesn’t just happen on the waterfront or the ropes course. It happens in phone calls, kitchen-table conversations, late-night emails, and quiet moments when a parent needs reassurance that their child will be okay.

For the past fifteen years, I’ve had the honor of being our Business Manager, Registrar, and Financial Aid Coordinator, and have been one of the first voices families hear - and one of the last they thank.

The First Call

For many families, camp begins with uncertainty.

It might be a parent sending their child away for the first time.

It might be a grandparent stepping in to help.

It might be a family navigating financial stress but determined to give their child a summer that changes everything.

I have heard every version of that call.

Over time, those conversations have become something deeper than transactions. They’ve become relationships. I remember siblings who followed each other to camp years apart. I remember the shy first grader who is now a counselor. I remember families who needed a little extra help one summer… and returned years later to give back so another child could attend.

The Privilege of Walking Alongside Families

In my role, I have a unique window into the full arc of a camper’s journey.

Here’s what I have seen:

• A nervous parent turn into a confident camp advocate

• A camper grow from homesick to homestrong

• A scholarship recipient become a leader

As the Financial Aid Coordinator, I’ve had some of the most meaningful conversations of my career. Families have trusted me with their stories - their challenges, their hopes, and their determination to create opportunity for their children.

That trust is not something I take lightly.

I often say that financial aid isn’t about paperwork. It’s about possibility.

Fifteen Years of Familiar Names

After fifteen summers, names are no longer just names in a system.

They’re handwritten holiday cards.

They’re graduation announcements.

They’re younger siblings who now sound just like their older brother did on the phone years ago.

There are families who have called me every single Spring for over a decade. Some conversations are five minutes. Others stretch much longer, catching up on school, sports, and life.

Camp becomes part of a family’s story - and in a small but steady way, I’ve become part of it too.

What It Has Meant to Me

When I think about what these relationships mean to me, I don’t think first about logistics or numbers. I remember connections.

I think about the honor of being trusted at vulnerable moments; about the pride I feel when a camper I helped attend walks across the stage at closing campfire to collect their Torch Award.

I think about legacy - about seeing generations of families return to the comfort of their Sloane family.

Working behind the scenes can be quiet work. But it is foundational work. And for fifteen years, I have been privileged to build a bridge between families and the transformative experience that camp provides.

At Camp Sloane, community isn’t just something we talk about - it’s something that grows over time, through consistency, care, and relationships that last far beyond a single summer.

And fifteen years of answering the phone has meant fifteen years of building something much bigger than enrollment.

It has meant building trust.

It has meant building belonging.

It has meant building a legacy that will continue long after the last campfire song fades.

Heidi