My Camp Friends Are Still My Best Friends

My name is Lauren Kasnett Nearpass and I am from Potomac, Maryland. Tyler Hill was my summer home from 1994-2004 where I spent eight years as a camper and three as a counselor. My mom went to Tyler Hill so it was part of our family legacy for my siblings and I to go to the same camp she grew up at.

Favorite sport at camp: BBK is and always will be the best game of all time! Tennis with the amazing Bill Lalin was always fun, and being a Maryland girl I loved when lacrosse was added into the athletic program.

Favorite memory of camp: Well this is a hard question! There are too many, but if I was forced to choose here are three of my favorites…

My division at camp was very into Girl’s Sing. We had a serious winning streak going on for a couple of years, which made us a little bit competitive. Our most epic win was the year we were Jedi Juniors. It was a flawless performance, and I might be biased but I think our march song might have gone down in camp history as one of the best.

I will never forget finding the hatchet during Color War when I was a lieutenant on Blue Pirates of the Caribbean. It was quite the adrenaline rush and one of the only times I have and ever will feel like a celebrity!

My camp friends are still my best friends. We see each other all the time so camp memories are continually being made! We recently got adult camp friendship bracelets together!

Favorite quote: A favorite of mine and my camp friends… “No matter where the road may lead, it always takes me back to you”.

What did camp teach you? Camp basically taught me everything I know in life and in business. Seriously! It taught me how to be a good friend, sister, daughter and now business woman and wife. At camp you are always learning and growing whether you know it or not, and looking back it all becomes that much more clear. Camp instilled in me so many values – eight in particular come to mind! STARFISH very much applies when you are out of camp and an adult.

What are you up to now? As you can probably tell by now, I was, am, and always will be passionate about camp. It is in my DNA, and I always knew one day I would turn camp into a career. After working in marketing for almost seven years, I finally turned that dream into a reality. I began a company with my mom, Summer 365, which is an advisory service for families specializing in summer camp, trips and travel for children and teens. We are sort of like matchmakers! Summer 365 is founded upon our belief that camp is one of the most valuable gifts you can give to a child (which began with our love of THC). We are committed to making every child’s summer experience a cornerstone of his/her growth and development into young adults. It’s been incredible to “pay it forward” and work with families to help them deliver the amazing gift of summer camp to their children.