Meet the Incoming 2019 Campers
Camp Rising Sun and the Louis August Jonas Foundation are excited to welcome all of our campers to New York in just a couple of short weeks. We want to extend a huge “Thank You” to our selectors around the world. It is because of their hard work and dedication to Camp Rising Sun that our program continues running. We are thankful 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 37 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. Camp Rising Sun is 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.
Today, we would like to introduce a few of our 2019 campers 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 our Campers
Meet Gabrielle from Ecuador:
My name is Gabriel. I am 15 years old and live in Ecuador – a country located in South America just along the equator. I live in a big family with four brothers. My brothers and I have always been taught to work hard and dedicated if we wanted to make things happen – that life is full of opportunities, but that happiness is not going to knock on your door, so you have to make things happen yourself.
My name is Sama and I am from Ramallah, Palestine. I’m extremely excited to attend CRS this summer! It will be an experience of a lifetime with new people from around the world, and I will gain experiences and learn many things to benefit me, and the people around me back home. Being a Palestinian teenager on the West Bank has exposed me to many issues regarding our society. Some people in Palestine are under a lot of pressure and hold a lot of anger due to the oppressive circumstances they live in. They do not have a way to express those feelings, and so they show them through violent behavior. How to spread awareness about these issues is something I hope to learn more about from CRS.
Hello! My name is Javid. I grew up in a small provincial town of Ganja, which is located in the west of Azerbaijan. I am not sure that you have ever heard about my hometown – maybe you have no images of imagination about my country, Azerbaijan, located on the other side of the world in relation to the United States. Nevertheless, I have been given the chance to travel to the U.S. to participate in Camp Rising Sun. The American Council in Azerbaijan have been informing students about CRS for the past year. I am grateful to the Louis August Jonas Foundation for creating such an opportunity for us all!
Hi! My name is Can and I have been chosen to participate in the Camp Rising Sun. I’m from Turkey which has a very rich culture. I have many hobbies such as playing the violin and the drums, building robots, gardening and traveling to new places for which I write a travel blog. I’m also am part of my school’s MUN club which helped me to become a more confident person. I have a very supportive family whom I’m grateful for, which consists of my parents, a younger brother and a Siberian husky named Sky. [At Camp Rising Sun] I’m hoping to acquire the skills I’ll need in the future and to make many friends in this international environment. This experience will not only be a huge step towards my goals, but also an experience which I will pass along to my friends and my family members. I can’t wait to be there!
Interested in learning more about the incoming campers? You can read more about some of the campers listed above on their individual pages, indicated by a hyperlink. As you read more about the incoming campers of 2019, we hope you will consider donating to help fund their flights and support travel for those in need of assistance. We look forward to welcoming the incoming campers to Camp Rising Sun 2019 very soon!