SLOAN HAMPTON

The sun is scorching, and the pavement is hot—but counselors find comfort in the shade while campers prepare to zipline. As Starr’s camper steps up to the zipline platform, she cheers words of encouragement.

“Let’s go, Jamie! You can do it,” Starr says.

Starr will stop at nothing to ensure that her campers are given the most magical week of their life. In 2004, when Victory Junction began their mission to change lives, Starr was among the first sets of campers that summer. When she arrived, however, the campus was nothing like she expected.

“I didn’t think it was a camp,” she said. “When I came here, all of the buildings were air conditioned, there were pavements, and clean roads, and it was all clean. To me, this wasn’t a camp.”

Even though Victory Junction might not have old-fashioned cabins with dirty bathrooms and old cots, Starr was challenged to step outside of her comfort zone.

“I was not very social, but when I came here, I met a lot of people who were experiencing the same things I was,” she says. “I became very social at this camp.”

Her transformative journey as a camper inspired her to return and help children like her grow to be more resilient. In 2008—after aging out of the camp—Starr returned as a volunteer; for the last three summers, she has been working as counselor.

“I love it. I’ve been here for a while, but I get a new experience every time I come,” she says. “I don’t get complacent; there is always something to learn here because it is so magical.”

Transitioning from camper to counselor has taught Starr what it means to be an influence in one’s life.

“Working here, I have learned a lot about humility,” Starr says. “Nothing comes easy, but if you put in the effort, you will get what you want. If you want to achieve something, you have to work for it.”

One of Starr’s favorite aspects of camp: seeing the growth in returning campers that she has counseled.

“I love it when campers from previous years tell me something new that they did. They’re super excited, and I feel honored to be the person they come to,” she says. “They know and love me enough to share their new experiences and achievements with me.”

Through her years of experience, Starr has provided campers with life-changing moments and memories that will empower and encourage them to tackle their obstacles. She has seen many campers develop into stronger individuals and has heard their stories of achievement and success. Because of this, she believes there is no other place like Victory Junction.

“We have the most compassionate, caring and qualified medical professionals working here. We have the most selfless, loving counselors who give up their whole summer to give campers the best summer of their lives,” Starr says.

There isn’t much Starr doesn’t know when it comes to Victory Junction. However, explaining how important the camp is to her and countless others is something she is still learning how to do.

“From the outside in, you can’t understand it. But from the inside out, you can’t explain it,” she says. “You can show people pictures and DVDs, but they won’t understand the love that is here until they experience it.