Every summer at Triumphant Love Lutheran Church, one of our largest events takes place in the building for two weeks in July. The interesting part is that almost everyone in the building is a kid. Camp Hope is like any other summer camp except for one key detail: it is completely led by teenagers, minus the manager and adult mentors. High schoolers are Lead Staff, while late middle schoolers are Support Staff, and they work together to lead four-year-olds through incoming seventh graders in learning a daily Bible story and doing creative projects and activities. These staff members can then work their way up in leadership, with most even starting as campers, and then apply to be manager following their first year of college.
My name is Clara Rabago, and I was the manager for Camp Hope this summer. I have been coming to Triumphant Love since starting confirmation in sixth grade, but I started working here almost by accident. While I love working with kids, camp never seemed like something I had time for, so I never applied. The summer after my sophomore year in high school, I was in a park celebrating the Fourth of July when I ran into Enzo, the manager for that summer. He told me they were short on staff and offered me a job, and I thought I might as well give it a try. Since then, I have worked at camp for the past four summers, concluding with this summer as manager. I initially thought that after graduating, I was ready to close this chapter of my life, but working one last summer taught me so many valuable things that I will carry with me through college and even further.
Following COVID, there were fewer campers, but this year we had a record number of kids, around 80 a week. With a staff of around 30 teenagers per week, we all had our hands full. The kids had some of the most energy I have ever seen, and the staff handled it so well. I am so incredibly proud of how every single staff member handled every conflict, every ouch form, every happy moment, and every unexpected situation that came up throughout the two weeks.
Being manager also gave me a different perspective on camp. After spending three summers as a staff member, it was interesting to be the person responsible for making sure everything ran smoothly and helping the staff when they needed it. I’m happy to say I learned just as much from the four-year-olds as I did from the staff. It definitely came with its challenges, but seeing the staff work together and watching the campers have such a great summer made it all worth it. I even let them “pie” me in the face on the last day which has become a Camp Hope tradition at TLLC.
I am very grateful that a random encounter at the park four summers ago turned into such a meaningful part of my summer experiences. Camp Hope has given me so many great memories, friendships, and experiences that I value, as I know the rest of the staff does too. I am excited to see where Camp Hope goes from here and for the impact it makes on the kids and staff, just as it did for me.
Are you or do you know a teenager who might be interested in a staff position at Camp Hope next year? The staff applications will be open in early spring 2027.