Camp Rising Sun and the Louis August Jonas Foundation are excited to welcome all of our campers to New York in just 3 short weeks. We want to extend a huge thank you to our selectors around the world for all of the hard work they have done not only to actually select campers, but also to help guide campers and their families through the preparation process. This year we will welcome campers from 31 different countries and several American states.
Every student selected is awarded a full scholarship to attend Camp Rising Sun, which includes all expenses at Camp as well as the transport up to Camp from NYC. The scholarship does not cover travel costs to NYC. However, we are committed to having campers from all over the world attend our unique program and therefore have continued to provide financial assistance for campers, as needed. We want to take a moment to introduce a few of the 2018 campers, including those who are using social fundraising pages to introduce themselves to the alumni community and ask for support to help offset the cost of their airfare. Here is a glimpse at a few of the talented individuals who will be joining us at camp this summer.
Meet Lavi from Iraq:
My name is Lavi, actually, I’m more known as Laly. I’m from Sulaymaniyah in Iraq. I’ve lived here all my life. When I was a child I really wanted to go outside my country to see other places, but I couldn’t because of the situation of my country. Now I’m proud first of Camp Rising Sun then myself, because of them I got the chance to see another place, to know more about other countries’ cultures, to know more people, and the most important thing is to gain more experiences.
Meet Gorgeous from Utah:
My name is Gorgeous. I am 14 years old. I'm a Native American from a small town called Riverton, Wyoming where a majority of the population is Caucasian and Native American. The natives are very traditional and in tune with our culture. There is a reservation right outside the town, it's the biggest reservation in the United States. It's called the Wind River Indian Reservation. This is where a majority of my tribe called the Northern Arapaho people reside and where most of my family live today. I am an honor student, I am the Mia maids president, I'm on the committee for the first Native American club at my high school, I play sports, draw, bead and dance. My education is extremely important to me; my goal is to become a surgeon and my dream is to get into an Ivy league college such as Stanford. I do believe that attending Camp Rising Sun will educate me and contribute to my stepping stones in helping me reach my goals. It has always been my dream to see more of the world and to get to know people that come from very different backgrounds, and I'm eager to learn more about their culture. This experience at Camp Rising Sun will last a lifetime. Attending Camp Rising Sun will help me grow and become a global leader. Camp Rising Sun will also bring me one step closer to my dream of becoming a surgeon. I am sure that my experience at Camp Rising Sun will last for the rest of my life and I hope that the friends I will make will last a lifetime. I am excited to expand my horizons, try new things, learn new things, plan projects, teach and learn how to follow and give back to my community.
Meet Andromachi from Greece:
My name is Andromachi –my friends call me Machi- and I am in the fortunate position of having earned a full scholarship to Camp Rising Sun, a leadership camp which provides activities promoting individual growth, global values, moral principles and leadership skills. If it wasn’t for the school I am attending, Anatolia College, I would probably never had the chance to take part in such a life-changing experience. I am extremely happy for this opportunity to explore the world! I will represent my country, Greece, and its tradition. As a result, I believe I will get to know new people from different cultures and backgrounds, although with many things in common since we all are teenagers. It has always been a dream of mine to travel to foreign countries and develop my skills in order to study abroad, later in the future. I love my country but since we have had a financial and political crisis for the past decade, there is a need for young people to be highly educated and experienced in leadership and diplomacy.
Meet Eli from Utah:
My name is Elijah but all my friends just call me Eli. I'm just a kid from Provo, Utah who loves to read comics, watch and make movies - You could call me somewhat of a nerd, and I'm always up for an adventure and love to meet new people. I really can't wait to attend Camp Rising Sun because I've heard so many good things about it! I really look forward to meeting new people and becoming friends with all of them.
You can read more about the campers listed above on their individual pages. As you read more about the incoming campers of 2018, we hope you will consider donating towards the cost of travel for the 2018 season. We look forward to welcoming the incoming campers to Camp Rising Sun very soon!