Since its opening in the 1950’s, Enchanted Hills Camp has been a home away from home for generations of campers. Nestled in a forest of majestic redwoods, EHC is a place where blind, low vision, Deafblind, and disabled campers can learn, grow, and explore the world around them in an inclusive, friendly, and encouraging environment.

This past summer, first-time EHC counselor Hannah Clemenson, had the opportunity to be part of this special community and shared her wonderful experience with LightHouse.

How did you hear about Enchanted Hills Camp?

The first time I went to Enchanted Hills Camp was when I was 17. I was there for the NFB NABS [National Federation of the Blind National Association of Blind Students] Pacific Seminar in 2019. I was only there for three days, and I was really only there for NFB stuff. I didn’t really get to interact with the camp much as Enchanted Hills, it was just kind of a venue. But I already loved it! I loved the quiet and got the feeling that it was a really welcoming environment. I knew I wanted to go back. I live in the Bay Area now and am a student at the University of San Francisco, and I read the weekly LightHouse newsletter. When I saw they were looking for workers this summer at EHC I thought, “Oh cool! Maybe I’ll do that!” I reached out to Tony Fletcher, and in April I got the confirmation that I would be working at EHC this summer. I was so excited!

Which EHC sessions did you work as a camp counselor?

I worked the Adult Camp, Adults with Developmental Disabilities, then we had to take a break due to the COVID-19 virus. When we returned to EHC I worked Music Camp and the last Family Camp session of the summer.

What was your first impression?

When I first got there it was a little nerve-wrecking. Most of the camp staff had been going there for 4-5, some even 7 or 8 years already. Everyone was very familiar and running around the camp, and I thought, “This is really new to me.” Everyone already knew each other, some even went to high school together, and they would talk about memories and stories from the past. I thought, “Oh, I’ll never fit in here.” But by the second day of Staff Week, I was already hanging out with people, talking a lot, and opening up quicker than I normally do. It was just so great. We continued to bond and by the end of Staff Week I’d already known I had made some really close friends, and that only continued throughout the rest of the summer.

What are your favorite Enchanted Hills Camp moments from this summer?

I really loved working the Adults with Developmental Disabilities session. It was really challenging. I was assigned to a cabin with a camper who is non-verbal, and other campers with severe organizational and mobility challenges. I had never previously worked with members of this population before, but it was so, so fun once I got the hang of it! It was a very humanizing experience working with people so different from me. I loved making coffee for everyone in the morning. The wide array of conversations you can have with people at this session was wild! The scope of human experience there is so awe-inspiring. Even though we were all on different wavelengths, we’re all also visually impaired and dealing with that. I can connect with them on the blindness level and learn so much from their unique thought processes. The non-verbal camper I worked with could only very marginally communicate with other people, but once she sat behind the piano she was playing and smiling and singing every lyric perfectly. It was amazing! She and I bonded over music because I am a musician too. If she was ever feeling stressed, I would start to sing to her, and she would sing with me, and it would calm her down.

I also really loved Family Camp. I liked talking to the parents, especially the ones who were concerned about how their blind child will experience life in the future, what high school and college will be like for them. I was able to share my own experiences and the kids would tell us theirs. It felt so good to really celebrate the kids. We’re all blind, we all deal with it differently, but we’re also all here at EHC, honoring and celebrating our blindness. It felt really good to share that experience with these families.

If given the opportunity, would you work at EHC again?

Absolutely, yes! I am definitely coming back in the future. I really want to work the Youth and Teen camps next year – especially the Youth Camp! This summer has been such a wonderful experience. I would love to continue to stay as involved with the EHC and LightHouse community as I can.

If you would like to learn more about Enchanted Hills Camp or donate to our Building Blind Ambition campaign to directly benefit EHC, you may visit the Enchanted Hills Camp website.