As a Taiwanese-American, I can never have enough boba in my life. LID Camp is where I got to meet my very own Boba Kingdom and it couldn't have been more perfect. As a counselor for the youngest group, I thought they were going to be trouble when I walked in. Little did I know, we were about to experience one of the best weeks of our lives together. Through all the sweat, tears and helping others ice their burns, we became a family. I can't wait to see everyone come back year after year, and watch each and every camper grow up in LID Camp. All aboard the train!
Counselor: Christopher Lee
This year was my first year going to LID camp. As a counselor, I had the wonderful opportunity of interacting closely with a group of campers. The campers and I experienced camp and shared memories with each other, both silly and serious. Through LID camp, I have built connections with some Taiwanese-American youth who will become future leaders. I hope that they will continue to apply what they have learned and experienced to help achieve all of their future endeavors.
Counselor: Nathan Goh
"LID Camp was a source of immeasurable positivity and joy for me as I battled feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt in my personal life. There is nothing more inspiring than watching your campers overcome their fears, and those moments inspired me to conquer my own.
Ultimately, LID Camp is so much less about what you can provide to the campers, and far more about the countless lessons that they can teach you. Campers provide such unique and energetic outlooks toward life that are often forgotten in the rigors of adulthood. No matter where you are in life, I guarantee that participating in LID Camp will be an unforgettable experience that changes you for the better."
Counselor: Tryphena Liu
"I decided to be a part of LID Camp because I wanted to push myself to be more proactive in taking on leadership positions. I also wanted to get more involved with the Taiwanese community and meet new people. Having always been a camper, it was a good learning experience being on the other side as a mentor and organizer. I learned to appreciate all the work that went into putting a youth camp together. I enjoyed interacting with the campers and was able to make lasting friendships with the other camp counselors and staff."
Camper/Counselor/Coordinator: William Liao
"The reason I went to camp was because I wanted to find a group of people that had backgrounds similar to mine. I struggled to with my Taiwanese identity throughout middle school and high school, despite the high Taiwanese population in my area. This camp gave me the opportunity to meet a lot of Taiwanese people as well as give me a family that I still connect to even this day."
Camper/Coordinator: Mindy Huang
"Camp has changed my life in ways I did not think possible. As an 11 year old reluctant to be away from home, I was intimidated by the idea of meeting new people. However, I found myself drawn back to camp every year for the next six years. Camp provided me with guidance and the desire to share my story with the people around me. Every summer became a new opportunity for me to strengthen my courage and build more friendships."
Camper/Counselor/President: Victor Hsieh
"Camp has been a monumental influence on my life. I attended LID Camp as a camper in 2009 and immediately fell in love with the activities, culture, and experience of it all. Our mission is all about developing our youth and leading them toward a better future. Because camp is all about family and being inclusive, I've come back year after year and created lifelong friends."
Camper/Staff/Counselor: Oliver Chen
"Camp is that one week with my friends that I look forward to. In the beginning as a camper, I was slightly nervous about spending a week with people I didn’t know. But that quickly changed when I arrived. Everyone was so enthusiastic, energetic, and excited about camp and that energy was what pushed me to go and interact with people. By the time camp ended, I was already excited for the next year’s camp and the chance to reunite with my friends again. That same energy and enthusiasm was also what convinced me to return to LID Camp as a counselor and staff member. After all the fun I had at camp as a camper, I want to be able to share the LID Camp experience I had with each new generation of campers.”
Counselor: Janet Lee
"I decided to become a counselor for camp because my friends were campers in high school and I never got the chance to do that. Once I was in college, the only option was to be a counselor. Growing up as a first generation Taiwanese-American, I got what I could from my parents but could never truly identify with many of my peers. I needed an outlet. Though I was extremely afraid of letting my campers down because I had no previous experience, they ended up helping me, I think, even more than I helped them. Being a counselor at LID Camp was one of the most fulfilling experiences I have ever had. I learned so much about responsibility and about not only myself but my campers."
Camper/Counselor: Lynze Tom
"CAMP WAS THAT ONE WEEK WHERE I COULD JUST HAVE FUN BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED. IT WAS THAT AWKWARD WEEK WHERE SUMMER SCHOOL ENDED AND SCHOOL WAS ABOUT TO BEGIN. IT WAS THE MOST FUN I'D EVER HAD. LIVING AWAY FROM HOME, 24/7 INTERACTION WITH FRIENDS, AND HAVING NOTHING BUT THE FEELING OF BELONGING WAS THE MOST COMPELLING REASON I BECAME A COUNSELOR. I WANT TO LET OTHERS HAVE THAT SAME EXPERIENCE TO MEET OTHERS AND TO GROW AS AN INDIVIDUAL. IT IS SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN THAT PLAY HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT ON PRO-SOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND I WANT TO CONTINUE THAT CYCLE BY GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY."
Counselor: Melody Cheng
"If I have to use one word to describe LID Camp it would be…Impactful. As a first time counselor, I didn’t expect to be so affected by being at camp, especially as one of the oldest counselors too. However, through interactive workshops ranging from cultural to personal growth, you get attached to your group of campers. We get to learn about what they want to achieve as an individual and are able to provide guidance through these workshops. For me, personally, the biggest takeaway was that sense of family bond I developed with camp/campers. It’s a type of bond that will leave both campers and counselors coming back every year."