Hey Y’all!! And welcome back to part 2 (of 3) of my YOUTH LGE Summer Camp series!!
I hope you enjoyed Part 1, and if I haven’t convinced you to encourage you or your teen to apply for YLGE yet, then I hope after reading this, you will! Let’s get started!
Day 2 started with grubbing on an amazing breakfast at Barnstormers at Woodring Airport. One of my favorite things about camp was the amazing meals we received for all 3 meals of the day. We had a special guest speaker talk to us over breakfast about financial literacy. We learned about the specifics of credit & debit cards, bank accounts, budgeting, and lots more. Now I know that might sound boring, but it was genuinely so educational, and I came out of it knowing so much more about finances than I would probably ever learn in school.
After breakfast, the airport owner talked to us about how he got to the position of ownership and a little bit about the planes and customers. Then, we went to tour ASIC, where a bunch of employees fix up crashed airplanes or just do some repairs and painting. We watched them cut through the metals with a fascinating and expensive water saw. We then took a trip across town to the famous Vance Air Force Base. I have toured the base multiple times, so most of the opportunities we got to do and see I’d already done and saw, BUT all of my classmates really enjoyed the whole experience since it was their first time. We got to do flight simulators and test our instincts by being blindfolded and spun in a chair having to guess which way we were spinning. One of my peers and I got to do another simulation where we sat in the nose of an airplane, and as it spun, we had to “fly” it by only seeing our flight map and screen. It was an awesome experience. They invited us to eat lunch at the clubhouse on base, which had very tasty food, and we had great conversations with a few of the trainees.
After that exciting tour, we got to see the BTS of EPD and EFD. At the EPD, they have a shooting simulator that the deputies practice on with realistic guns powered by air, and we all got to try it!! I didn’t do very well because my reaction time is terrible, but it was really cool.
Our first non-profit of the day was Youth & Family Services. We got a complete tour of the building and even the living area, which was one of my favorite things from the whole camp. What they do really inspired me, and I loved it so much. I have a big soft spot for less fortunate children, and the way they help these kids makes me so happy.
After Y&FS, we went a little bit outside of town to an amazing place called “Benny’s Barn”. What they do is horse therapy and teach kids and adults how to ride horses. Horse therapy helps disabled and abused people get better and more comfortable with everyday life. While riding a horse, you go through a lot of everyday motions. Benny’s also holds soccer tournaments for the kids to have a safe space, with others like them, to have fun and be normal! I loved coming here and seeing all of the beautiful horses and the opportunities they give to our community.
Our last stop was GSP Health. This stop was very short because I feel like there was not much for us to do at a clinic, but the new building was very pretty, and it was nice, clean, and a good stop before dinner.
To end our night, we had an Etiquette Dinner at the Country Club. We learned so much – like how to sit in your chair properly, which utensils to use, how to cut steak the right way, the rules of the table, and so much more. The food was 10/10 and 100% my favorite meal all week. It included 4 courses and a delicious and refreshing Shirley Temple.
Thank You for reading this month’s article. I hope you enjoyed it. If I still haven’t convinced you about YLGE, then come back next month for the last part of this series. It is my duty and mission for all of you who are eligible to apply!! I hope you have an amazing August!! Bye for now <33
