Laura: Passing the Camp Magic Forward

October 03, 2026

For Laura, Girl Scouts has always been about discovering what’s possible.

She started Girl Scouts in second grade and jumped at every opportunity she could. She sold more than 1,000 boxes of cookies every year, earning her way to leadership camps and discovering that there was a whole world of people, places, and experiences beyond what she knew at school.

She traveled to Canada with her troop, tried new programs, and kept finding ways to stay involved even after the other girls in her troop moved on. With every new experience, her confidence grew. So did her friendships, her skills, and her sense of what she was capable of.

And then there were the camp counselors.

Laura looked up to them and dreamed of becoming one herself. After completing Program Aide training and participating in the Counselor-In-Training experience, she knew: This is what I want to do.

Today, Laura is a counselor at Camp Catron, helping give other girls the same gift camp gave her.

For Laura, Camp Catron is a home away from home; a place filled with peace, joy, and belonging. As a counselor, she gets to walk alongside campers as they face fears, discover new interests, and accomplish things they may not have thought they could do.

And sometimes, the biggest memories come from the smallest moments: encouraging a camper to try something new, laughing with your team after a long day, or finding out campers loved you enough to make a skit about you.

Working at camp has given Laura confidence, leadership skills, lifelong friendships, and experiences she carries into her career as a teacher. Most importantly, it has shown her how powerful it can be to have someone believe in you and walk alongside you as you grow.

Now she gets to be that person for someone else.

Girl Scouts has been Laura’s home away from home—and she’s helping make Camp Catron that home for the next generation, too.

100 years. Countless stories. One lasting legacy.