Hey, Summer Campers!

Millions of kids have been attending summer camps for a very long time. Nowadays, it seems like everywhere you turn, there’s SOMEbody who went to camp when they were a kid—even celebrities—wait no, ESPECIALLY celebrities! Did you know that Hollywood legend Chevy Chase was a summer camper just like yourself when he was closer to your age?

Yep! Clark Griswold himself (Chevy’s serial character from the National Lampoon movies) was once a summer camper at Camp Tamakwa. There, in the beautiful environment of Algonquin Park in Canada, Chevy had a blast doing fun activities, making friends, and getting know himself.

Speaking of learning more about Chevy, first things first, his real name isn’t Chevy. It’s Cornelius. Cornelius Crane Chase. Nicknamed by his grandmother, the name Chevy comes from a folk song from the 14th Century called ‘The Ballad of Chevy Chase’.

Despite how well-off Chevy’s family was, Chevy still understood a solid work ethic as he put in the effort to support himself while pursuing a career in writing. He gained a lot of experience to put on his resumé by waiting tables, selling wine, managing a supermarket department, driving a cab and a truck, and working in construction.

He caught his first big break around 1975 when he landed a writing gig on NBC’s hit show, ‘Saturday Night Live.’ Originally hired on as a writer, it was during the show’s auditions that Chevy’s talents as a performer were just as valuable as his writing skills. SNL’s premiere sketch featured Chevy Chase who was then the first person to shout out, “Live from New York! It’s Saturday Night!”

Whether on an old SNL sketch, through the invention of Clark Griswold, or his latest character, Pierce Hawthorne, from the show ‘Community,’ over the years, Chevy has made us all laugh (sometimes until we cry). Summer camp did Chevy good. What will it do for you? As always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

You know who else is a fan of summer camp? Michael Dell of Dell computers. That’s right. The founder and chief executive of Dell computers was a summer camper just like you when he was your age. He may be an accomplished, incredibly successful business mogul NOW, but back in the day, he was just like you: a kid at summer camp.

Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Michael went to Camp Champions, a co-ed summer camp located along the shores of Lake LBJ which is nearby Marble Falls.

Michael sold ‘Houston Post’ subscriptions as a 15-year-old high schooler. And, by simply reassessing and retargeting his prime clientele, Michael made about $18,000 that year (which was more than some of his teachers made).

A businessman before he grew up, Michael showed promising skills in taking apart computers and putting them back together. He attended college at the University of Texas studying pre-med. And while there, he started up an informal business that put together and sold upgrade kits for personal computers.

As insignificant as it was at the time, this was actually the very early beginning of Dell Inc. By the time he was 27, Michael had become the youngest CEO of the top 500 corporations. Dell is now the world’s third-largest computer hardware manufacturer.

Ranked in 2012 as the 41st richest person in the world, Michael puts his mountains of money to great use having founded the educational program called Breakthrough Austin. Helping underprivileged students to be all they can be, Breakthrough students receive personal, thorough, complete, and continuous support.

Unfortunately, it’s a fact that, in comparison to families that are better off, students who come from low-income families are less likely to attend college by a factor of seven! A family man himself, Michael understands how important it is that every child (independent of their family’s financial status) has an equal opportunity to receive an education. Everything Summer Camp couldn’t agree more.

Summer camp was an excellent experience for Michael Dell. What does it have in store for you? As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John

Hey, Campers!

Were you born to hit the big time? Made for the spotlight? Are you dying to be on TV or in the movies?  If so, that’s one thing you have in common with the one and only, Ms. Natalie Portman. You know what else you have in common with her? The both of you went to summer camp!

Natalie went to the unique camp, Stage Door Manor in New York for her exciting summer camp experience. Stage Door Manor Camp is just like any other summer camp, aside from the heavy concentration on theater involvement and the performing arts that they offer in their camp program.

Obviously, Natalie was interested in acting from an early age. Born in Jerusalem, Israel, Natalie’s parents (Shelley and Avner) moved to the United States when she was only three years old. Despite her young age by the time she moved to America, Natalie has always been fond of her birthplace. While she loves the United States, Natalie feels like Jerusalem is her true home.

When she was 13, Natalie took her first role in the action movie Léon. She played the part of an orphan who gets taken in by a man with a questionable occupation. Her real success, however, came to her suddenly when she turned 18 and was cast as Queen Amidala of the Star Wars prequels: Episodes I, II, and III.

In the same year that she started doing Star Wars, Natalie also enrolled at Harvard University where she studied psychology alongside her acting career—talk about juggling your education and career! She finished school two years before completing her role in the Star Wars prequels. Since then, her career has blossomed gracefully.

Natalie’s earned some awards for her work such as a Golden Globe, a Constellation Award, and a Saturn Award. Her dreams took her to summer camp and then to Hollywood! Where will camp and your dreams guide you?

- John

Hey, Summer Campers!

Did you know that, like all of you, Denzel Washington went to summer camp before he ever became the famous Denzel we all know and love? That’s right, Coach Herman Boone, himself (if you know him from the Disney film, Remember the Titans, that is) went to summer camp, though he never was a camper.

Born in Mount Vernon, close to New York City, Denzel did not have the best upbringing due to location and troubles in his parent’s marriage. His parents broke up when he was 14. Consequently, his mother sent Denzel to a private preparatory school called Oakland Military Academy.

Denzel has always since felt that attending that school caused a big change in his life and helped him to steer his life in the right direction. He attended Texas College and later Fordham University where he received a B.A. in Drama and Journalism. He also played on his college basketball team as a guard. Throughout his time in college, Denzel took up a job as a counselor for Camp Sloane YMCA.

Camp Sloane is a summer camp located in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains. Their chief goals for the campers is to enlighten them in the principles of honesty, respect, responsibility, and caring for one another. Camp Sloane has been working its magic since 1928.

It was there that people first put the idea in Denzel’s head to pursue a career in acting when he played a part in a staff talent show put on for the campers. When his next fall semester started, he adjusted his focus and enrolled himself at the Lincoln Center campus where he studied acting.

From Shakespearean productions to box office thrillers, Denzel is one of those actors who can breathe life into any character! Summer camp gave Denzel the idea to pursue an acting career. What will it give you? Thanks for reading, Campers.

- John

Hey, Summer Campers!

If you’re like the rest of America, you probably love Cindy Crawford. Her beautiful face has been on countless magazine covers and she’s walked down so many runways that I’m sure she’s lost count by now! Cindy had done such wonders with her modeling career that by the time she was 29 years old, she was the highest paid model worldwide!

Born in Illinois, Cindy attended US Air Force Academy Science Camp in the summer season where she enjoyed camp programs and camp friends. A hard worker from an early age, at 16 years old, Cindy was keeping busy with her summer job, detasseling corn. Lucky for her, it was during her job that a newspaper photographer happened to notice her working away.

He snapped a picture of her that brought Cindy a world of positive feedback and gave her the encouragement she needed to pursue a modeling career. She entered the Elite Model Management’s Look of the Year contest one year later and won second place. After that, the Elite Model Management began to represent Cindy and the rest is history!

It’s funny because when Cindy first embarked upon her modeling career, magazines would eliminate the ‘Crawford mole’ which went on to become the model’s trademark trait. Despite early attempts to work around it, Cindy’s mole that rests just above her lip has become just as famous as she has herself!

Cindy has seen great success as her modeling career has turned her into a celebrity the world over! Cindy has taken acting roles on television as well as film and has been a spokesperson for companies like Pepsi. She also hosted MTV’s House of Style.

Now nearly 50 years old, Cindy has shaped her modeling career to fit what she wanted. What do you want?

Thanks for reading, campers!

- John