BBYO Summer — a lot of people who aren’t in BBYO have no idea what I’m talking about. Before I joined BBYO, I attended Jewish sleepaway camp for 7 years, and when I began getting involved in BBYO, I was approached by my Regional Godol at the time, asking me about my thoughts on attending CLTC. I was hesitant; I didn’t really know anyone outside my region besides my camp friends, and at the time, I didn’t know any North Florida teens attending CLTC. However, with this fear in my mind, I went ahead and signed up for CLTC 1. A couple of weeks down the line, three of my closest friends from home texted me and mentioned they had all also signed up. That gave me confidence, and before I knew it, summer had arrived, and I was boarding a flight to Newark to begin 12 days at CLTC.

Upon arrival at camp, I immediately found my group. Even though we were all in a new setting, everyone seemed to be welcoming toward each other, and from then on, I knew this had been one of the greatest decisions I had ever made. Throughout my time at CLTC, I made lifelong friends and was able to not only grow as a person but grow as a leader. Leaving CLTC, I felt that this was the missing piece of what I had been missing in BBYO. I had served as a chapter leader and attended regional events, but CLTC completed it for me and made me realize why I do BBYO.

BBYO Summer allows any teen to branch out and grow, no matter the background they come from. Somehow, everyone finds their place and figures out what BBYO truly means to them. Now, looking back, I have made my closest friends in BBYO — friends I can’t wait to reunite with at IC or visit during the school year. This same group of friends are the ones who will be there throughout my BBYO journey, and I can’t wait to experience full Perlman next summer with them and watch us all grow into the leaders we want to be in this organization!