It’s that time for another edition of Camp Towanda “Where Are They Now?” We have four new alum sharing their fond memories and stories about the camp we love! We are posting these in the order they come in, and this week we happen to have a double dose of Dorm ’99 girls! Plus a former Olympiad from the ’90s and someone from Club ’02.
Please keep your entries coming and send to [email protected]. We have so many more great ones to share with you!
Matt Levy
- Dorm / Club Year: Club 1994
- College Attended? University of Pennsylvania (Wharton); Tulane University Law School
- Current Career: Anheuser-Busch (Business Services Center, Project Management)
- Did Towanda help prepare you for the “real world”? In what way? Yes. Socializing with people from all walks off life.
- What was your favorite camp activity? waterskiing
- What is your most memorable moment at camp? 1994 olympics (won Olympiad); or watching Marc Penziner “street luge” down the hill from boys camp to the infirmary
- Give us a line or two of your favorite camp song. “Devils arise with brimstone and flame; we’re here tonight to stake out our claim.” (1989 Red Devils)
- What words of wisdom would you share with today’s campers? take lots of pictures
- Fill in the blank: When I hear American Pie I think of Camp Towanda!
Michelle Goldblum
- Dorm / Club Year: 1999
- College Attended? The George Washington University
- Current Career: Founder of I AM. creative, a full service brand strategy, brand development, design & marketing agency specializing in the mind/body/spirit, wellness, self-empowerment, self-improvement space.
- Did Towanda help prepare you for the “real world”? In what way? 100%. 3-minute showers have continued to be clutch in my life.
- What was your favorite camp activity? Senior Year Canoe trip… Olympics ’99… Tweens & Juniors Tropical Paradise.
- What is your most memorable moment at camp? First kiss and getting camper captain (is that so horrible and cliche to say?)
- Give us a line or two of your favorite camp song. Go down, Moses,: Way down in Egypt’s land, tell old pharoah, let my people go!
- What words of wisdom would you share with today’s campers? 2 months is so incredibly short. Don’t worry about what bunk you are in. Don’t worry about being the counselors favorite. JUST PLAY and laugh and be happy to be outside.
- Fill in the blank: When I think of walking up the grassy knoll, see someone in a british soccer jersey, watch fireworks, hear American Pie or eat french toast, I think of Camp Towanda!
- If you could add a rule for GHOST, what would it be? I wish i remembered the rules for ghost to be able to answer this question!
AJ Axelrod
- Dorm / Club Year: 2002
- College Attended: Vanderbilt University
- Current Career: Management Consulting
- Did Towanda help prepare you for the “real world”? In what way? My first college roommate was a camp friend as are many of my lifelong friends. It helped me adjust to the communal living aspect of college.
- What was your favorite camp activity? everything
- What is your most memorable moment at camp? Becoming a camper captain (My father and I are the first father son combination) and rope burning but there are so many small moments that stand out too.
- Give us a line or two of your favorite camp song. the last 2 lines of American Pie, I was always hungry by then.
- What words of wisdom would you share with today’s campers? Do everything you can possibly do, get in a little bit of trouble, but not the serious kind. If you’re a boy, chase more girls it’s good practice for later in life and the girls are really in charge anyway. Stay in touch with your counselors. When you’re 20+ they don’t seem so much older than you and you may seem them all over the world if you travel. I’ve seen counselors in Colorado, NY, London and Sydney Australia.
- If you could add a rule for GHOST, what would it be? I would ban boxing out on the jump to start the match. I used it to win the jump all the time. I would also ban sacrificing yourself to become a ghost.
Rachel Berkman Bloom
- Dorm Year: 1999
- College Attended: University of Michigan
- Current Career: Private Equestrian/Athletic Tutor, Judith Ripka South Florida Representative
- Did Towanda help prepare you for the “real world”? In what way? Towanda helped me learn to be independent.
- What was your favorite camp activity? It is too hard to pick just one! Maybe DJ nights. OH and when we had an all camp water fight and gold rush. Trip days, the list goes on…
- What is your most memorable moment at camp? My first Olympic breakout in 1993
- Give us a line or two of your favorite camp song. Our entire Tween/Junior girls sing cheer and march – I still know every word! Tweens and Juniors take the stage, time to prove we are the best, sing is here and there’s no doubt that we’re gonna beat the rest check it out!…
- What words of wisdom would you share with today’s campers? Enjoy every second of every day, and take a lot of pictures and never lose them.
- Fill in the blank: When I smell a particular summer night , see my old camp shirts in my drawer, watch Wet Hot American Summer, hear American Pie (of course) or eat milk and cookies, I think of Camp Towanda!
- If you could add a rule for GHOST, what would it be? If I could add one rule to ghost it would be that people walking by can be considered ghosts and brought into the game for one throw.
