Senior-Senior Summer and Greystone’s Impact from a Parent’s Perspective
It’s the season of gratitude and reflection and looking back on all of the good gifts of 2024. Each year, some of our biggest blessings are our camp families (ours are the best in the biz!), particularly the families of our senior campers who have supported Greystone for so many years.
We had 60 Senior Senior campers this past summer, one of our biggest groups we’ve ever had! We asked a few of their parents to tell us about their camper’s Greystone experience. How did they see her grow over her years as a camper? Why did they prioritize camp for their family?
Elizabeth, Andrea, and Sheri are here to share today, but we know you have a Greystone story to tell too! We always want to hear more about why camp matters to your family and the ways God has used this community in your daughter’s life.
Andrea Foster
Daughters Adalyn (8 years as a camper) and Ansley (5 years as a camper)
Our two daughters first attended Camp Greystone in 2017, attending Junior Camp. At the time they were 7 and 9. Oh, were we nervous about sending them away for the first time! That first summer we were blessed to witness how special Camp Greystone was. Our girls absolutely loved it and when we picked them up on Closing Day, they were already talking about the next summer.
It became our family tradition to drive from Florida and spend time together in the beautiful towns surrounding camp before we’d drop the girls off on Opening Day. Little did we know the impact Camp Greystone would have on our lives for years to come. We even adopted a puppy from Dog Camp and Louie, a spunky yellow lab, has brought joy to our family for over six years now.
This past summer, our oldest gave her Senior Senior speech and it was a testament to how much Camp Greystone has influenced her life. She shared that most of her friends from home can’t understand how she gives up five weeks of her summer to go to a place where she has no cell phone and is relatively shut out from everything that’s going on in the world. For her she chooses that “camp bubble” every year and looks forward to being a counselor in the coming years.
What we’ve seen from Camp Greystone is a place of indescribable positive energy, contagious laughter, endless fun, lasting friendships, and a deeper faith that we could only hope to see teenagers have. We’re beyond grateful that we found Camp Greystone and for all those at camp that show God’s love.
Elizabeth Ausband
Daughters Wakefield, Neely, and Drew (all campers for 11 years)
We are so grateful for Greystone and grateful all three of our girls were able to go to camp through their Senior Senior summers. Greystone helped us raise our girls – not exaggerating! Greystone is an atmosphere unlike any other – we could never create anything nearly like it at home or even if we tried to string together other meaningful travel or mission trips.
All our girls’ summers at Greystone we very special, meaningful and so fun, but especially those last years as older campers. Our girls say those summers were the best “reset” between school years as life became more complex. There is just nothing like being immersed in Greystone’s beautiful environment, out in nature, in Christ-centered everything!
Socially - Where else in the world could our girls enjoy this social experience? The friendships from those older camper years are so much deeper and the girls naturally invested in those friendships throughout the year. It is invigorating, expanding, and educational to have friends all over the country. These close friendships, born in Greystone’s Christ-centered environment, have also helped our girls through college as they chose and pursued friendships in the college environment.
Physically – Greystone gave our girls a chance to try so many activities they would never have had the opportunity to try otherwise. Where else can 17 year olds learn synchronized swimming, prepare and perform elaborate synchro dances, compete in war canoe races, or enjoy fun, healthy movement with friends like in Greystone Groove class? From their time at Greystone, our daughters are more well-rounded and have learned how to do more things than they ever could have, and we also credit Greystone with their willingness to try new things.
Mentally – Greystone has been such a valuable “break” for our girls from the many forces pulling at them through life the rest of the year. The break from social media and 24/7 access to friends and information through technology is immeasurable. The steady structure Greystone provides in the daily schedule, the wise teaching, and the positive routines fortified our girls significantly. Each summer, our daughters came home from Greystone with new habits and appreciation for skills for restoration like rest hour, protecting a good bedtime, reading for pleasure, enjoying devotions.
Spiritually – We refer to Greystone as a “bubble.” It is a well-protected, Christ-centered, environment where girls are safe to be themselves, try new things, learn and grow in the positive unique ways God is leading them. Living in this environment let our girls feel this wonderful balance and focus we could never have created for them at home. “Bubble” may sound artificial or temporary to outsiders, but we have found it to be the truest and realest environment, truly what we are all searching for, longing for, what we are all made for when God set eternity in our hearts (Ecc 3:11). Greystone is the closest to “heaven on earth” and we are forever grateful for the ways Greystone has helped shape our girls.
Sheri Scruggs
Daughter Sydney (12 years as a camper)
There is no doubt that Camp Greystone has shaped my daughter’s life in many, many ways. I attribute lots of who she is to her 12 summers as a camper. It was never a question as to if I would send her to camp, my fear was always will she love it as much as I do?
Being on staff at Camp Greystone shaped my life at a vulnerable time in college and I dreamed of her experiencing this life changing place. Camp connects you with God, His creation, His people and taps into your own gifts and purpose. I have seen my daughter develop a keen sense of others’ needs, others individual strengths and value teamwork. Even the way she interacts with younger girls shows me how the amazing counselors who took care of her modeled what it means to love and mentor those behind you.
Overall, my daughter has grown into a person that loves and respects all types of people and is able to see value in others’ uniqueness. Camp provided an environment where she could be herself, be challenged and to mature into a person who loved God and loves others. I am forever grateful!
