by Lauren Simons
Camp Discover’s days have been filled with 7:00 a.m. rises, exhilarating classes, and active games. One of the highlights of the week has been our Wednesday evening Zoom chat with General Lloyd “Fig” Newton, a retired Air Force four-star general and the first African American pilot for the Thunderbirds squadron, an elite flying team. He spoke to us about his time in the Thunderbirds and the importance of persevering, even when things seem like they might not work out.
Following the Zoom chat, another counselor and I gave a presentation called Discover Yourself, where we taught the campers how to be a great leader and to set a good example. We explained that no matter where you come from or what limitations you might think you have, you too can be a leader.
On Thursday evening, we will hear from Will Luttrell, who attended camp here at The Center for Gifted Studies in the 1980s. He came from deep rural poverty, but his experiences at camp helped him find the path to doing what he wanted to do with his life. Through hard work and determination, he has founded and sold several successful technology start-ups and is now a generous donor to The Center.
We want Camp Discover to be an opportunity for our campers to discover the endless possibilities ahead of them. We are thankful for General Newton and Will Luttrell for helping us show them all they can be.