As Flagstaff high school seniors graduate this week, two have something extra to celebrate. Friends of Camp Colton selected Brian Hofstetter and Isabel Vera as inaugural recipients of our $500 scholarships for Camp alumni.
Chosen for their essays describing how Camp influenced their lives, each impressed the selection committee by linking their experiences with their plans for the future.
“The middle school years are such a formative time in people’s lives, and we frequently hear about the indelible impact Camp Colton has. Creating the scholarship helps Friends of Camp Colton preserve some of these memories while helping to offset the costs for higher education,” said Ari Wilder, executive director of Friends of Camp Colton. “Brian and Isabel exemplify what Camp Colton is about, and we’re excited to see what they accomplish in the years to come.”
Graduating from BASIS Flagstaff, Hofstetter will attend Cornell University to study biology with an emphasis in ornithology and natural history. The enthusiastic mentorship at Camp fueled his interest in science.
“Attending Camp Colton introduced me to an idea that profoundly influenced who I am today — the more we learn about the natural world and the more questions we can ask, the more we can learn. I will use the curiosity I developed at Camp Colton in my work as a field biologist this summer and as a student at Cornell,” he said.
Flagstaff High School graduate Vera is heading to American Musical and Dramatic Academy. She draws on her Camp Colton experience to temper the apprehension she feels about starting over in the fall.
“Even though I was very nervous at the prospect of going to Camp Colton without knowing anybody or having close friends, I took a leap of faith and came out of it with lasting memories and lifelong friendships,” she said. “As I prepare to enter an entirely new learning environment and move away, I know to follow in the footsteps of my sixth grade self.”
Applications for the 2023 Friends of Camp Colton Scholarships will open in February; more information about the criteria is available at https://friendsofcampcolton.org/camp-colton-scholarship/.
