2019 Camp ASCCA Camper of the Year

With the end of summer comes the time for the ASCCA Summer Staff to come together and select the year’s Camp ASCCA Camper of the Year. Every year, the staff nominates ten campers that they believe set the tone for the summer. The nominees are often selected based on the characteristics that make them unique and how their summer experience was that year. Many of the qualities considered when selecting the Camper of the Year include, how much the camper enjoys the summer camp experience, the energy they carry with them to each activity, how they treat their fellow campers and overall enthusiasm.

After the ten campers are selected, the staff narrow the field down to the top three. The top three are then narrowed down to one. This year’s recipient is a young lady who reflects all of the mentioned qualities and then some, and that is Miss Christina Brown. Christina has been attending Camp ASCCA since 2014, and continues to show up every chance she gets. When a weekend camp is available, she’s there. When we invite her to speak to members of the community, she’s there. Like all of our campers, Christina is an invaluable part of Camp ASCCA, and we are so excited to present to her the title of Camper of the Year 2019.

On Thursday, Oct. 10, the Camp ASCCA full-time staff and many summer staff members secretly traveled to Niffer’s on the Lake where Christina soon showed up thinking she was just there for a dinner with her close family and friends. When she turned the corner into the outside dining area, she was in shock to see everyone sitting there waiting for her. Camp Director Matt Rickman then presented her with the Camper of the Year plaque. Christina is a local in the Camp ASCCA community and grew up in Alexander City, Ala., so it was not too difficult to plan the perfect surprise.

I had the opportunity to ask Christina about her ASCCA experiences, and she said that some of her fondest memories came when she won the title of prom queen during her second summer in 2015. Her favorite programs at Camp ASCCA are the LPR Zipline and tubing, two programs that come with so much freedom in the air and on the water. Finally, I asked Christina, “If you could say anything about Camp ASCCA, what would it be?” She quickly responded, “THIS IS HOME. I’VE FINALLY FOUND WHERE I BELONG!” That statement is why we do what we do here at Camp ASCCA, and we are so excited to see that joy spread through all of our friends. Congratulations, Christina!