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“Growing up in a city neighborhood like mine was kind of hard for me, because you had to fit in. But at camp, I could totally be myself. Camp changed my life.”
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“I built a high wall around myself so I can’t get hurt. But, here everyone was just looking to be themselves. Everyone was so relaxed... I learned I don’t need that wall. I think this camp is the best thing you can do to find yourself.”
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“After camp, I auditioned for LaGuardia, the Fame school. I was the second one to go in. I repeated the lyrics over and over to myself from this song we learned at camp, I Sing the Body Electric, which is actually FROM Fame: ‘and in time and in time we will all be stars.’ That boosted my confidence. I looked the audience straight in the eye, and just sang with a smile. I got in.”
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“I live in Queens. Everything here is the opposite from home. Here you can play outside without worrying about gangs. There’s things to do instead of watching TV. It’s not scary. I would like to stay here much longer...a week seems way too short.”
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“I went to camp last summer to see the performance. When it was over I met some of them. All of the people I saw had smiles on their faces. I would like to be one of those people with a smile the size of the world.”
