When we finally arrived at the campsite, I wasn’t exactly sure what to think. I’m not big on camping, or nature in general, but I knew I couldn’t pass up this opportunity. Now that I can sit back and reflect on the experience, I know it to have been the highlight of my summer.
After I received the Warren Christopher Scholarship (WCS), a scholarship of $20,000 in May, I was told two things: that there would be a luncheon ceremony at Disney Concert Hall in June to commemorate the occasion and that there would be a 3-day camping trip in August. The camp is organized by O’Melveny & Meyers LLP, the same company that funds the WCS in tandem with Fulcrum Adventures. It is meant to reward the scholars for their accomplishment and offers a way for them to bond with one another. It occurs every year, and my experience at the camp is one I’ll remember for years.
This year, the camp was located in Temescal Canyon Park, where we had the opportunity to do a series of wildly different activities. I, alongside two others, was able to construct a car-like vehicle made of cardboard, a wooden block and a few toy tires. The point was to compete in a race against other teams, but ours fell apart before it could even leave the starting line, leaving the three of us to collapse into giggles. The same day, we went on an evening hike on the Temescal Canyon Trail. When we reached the top of the hill, we had the chance to see the distant Santa Monica Pier. It was breathtaking to see, as the ocean stretched on before us, backlit by the lowering sun.
The next day, we had the chance to go surfing, as well as play a wide array of other games the Fulcrum staff devised for us. One was the game “Shoulders,” a fast-paced group game. If scholars were able to win some activity games, they received prizes. On the third day, we played “Shoulders” again and I won a $10 dollar Starbucks gift card. The same day, we practiced archery, walked on a tightrope with a partner and jumped off trees. Of course, we were strapped to harnesses to make sure that if we fell, no harm would come to us. To my own surprise, I was able to cross the entire rope without falling off.
I don’t think I’ll ever have an experience as lively and exciting ever again. It was a chance to connect with people I may have never met otherwise and who I now wait excitedly to see again during the winter luncheon in December.
