By Honey Radadiya and Thanvi Reddy Purumandla, South Brunswick High School Seniors
The Lindsey Meyer Teen Institute (LMTI) Summer Leadership Camp is an annual event that holds a special place in the hearts of many attendees, including Honey Radadiya and Thanvi Reddy Purumandla, seniors at South Brunswick High School. Both of them have experienced the camp multiple times, and each year has left a lasting impact on their personal growth and leadership development.
Here is what they had to say about their experience at the 2024 Summer Leadership Camp:
Honey Radadiya’s Experience: Building Confidence and Connections
The Lindsey Meyer Teen Institute Summer Leadership Camp is a camp near and dear to my heart. This was my third year attending camp and my second year as part of the Youth Advisory Council. Even though this was my third time attending camp, it was equally as engaging and beneficial to me. There’s just something so special about the camp air, with its positive and welcoming attitude and warm atmosphere. Being there makes a person feel so unconditionally accepted regardless of all the things you may feel are weird about yourself.
Making New Friends and Strengthening Bonds
The camp intentionally crafts its schedule in a way to optimize your friend-making abilities, be it through exposing you to different people in process groups, small workshops, the randomized cabin roommates, or the plethora of free-time activities. My favorite part, besides the insanely exhilarating dance they held on a Wednesday night (with the best DJs possibly ever, Treble and Bass), was the feeling I felt every time I spoke to a stranger and felt like I was talking to one of my closest friends. It is impossible to leave after spending an entire week with the sweetest people on Earth without making a meaningful connection with someone and without building up your own confidence.
Leadership Lessons and Team-Building
Besides the way camp makes you feel, it also teaches its campers a lot too. Every day we listened to motivational speakers like DeMarco Speaks and Sean O’Beirne, who taught us about the importance of mental health and how to stay away from drugs and alcohol. We participated in a ropes course which was a fun team-building activity that allowed us to feel comfortable working with each other.
This activity helped us throughout the week, as our Incorruptible US group created an action plan that we will implement during the 2024-2025 school year.
Thanvi Reddy Purumandla’s Journey: Developing Action Plans and Friendships
As a two-time attendee of the Lindsey Meyer Teen Institute Summer Leadership Camp, I am already looking forward to next summer. This camp has become a safe, positive space that I deeply cherish. I’ve built strong connections and lasting relationships with both campers and staff.
Welcoming Atmosphere and Emotional Bonds
Even though I felt a bit nervous returning in the summer of 2024, my tension vanished the moment I stepped into camp. Walking into the pavilion and seeing my friends dancing energized me and filled me with joy. Everyone, including the first-time campers, were incredibly welcoming. The staff makes sure we interact with everyone, and even our cabin arrangements help foster these connections. Collaborating with the CATs and YACs has taught me so much, both personally and professionally. I still keep in touch with my camp friends, and the bond we share—transforming from strangers to best friends who understand each other on an emotional level—is something I find hard to replicate within my school community.
Action Planning and Fighting Big Tobacco
As we got to know each other better at camp, we also focused on developing our Action Plan. Over the course of five days, my friends and I, with the guidance of our advisors, Carlo Favretto and ShaRonda Amon, created a strategy to fight Big Tobacco. Throughout the 2023-2024 school year, we held workshops and activities during club meetings to promote natural highs. We created posters, videos, and held meetings to spread our message, but felt we weren’t reaching enough people, especially teenagers.
Launching a Podcast and Receiving Recognition
So, we decided to launch a podcast, LTAI – Let’s Talk About It (Incorruptible.US), aimed at bridging the gap between youth and adults. The podcast will focus on preventing teenage vaping by offering healthier paths, promoting natural highs, and empowering youth with better coping mechanisms for stress.
The South Brunswick Chapter of Incorruptible Us has been working hard all year to educate our peers on the harmful effects of vaping and tobacco. We have taught middle school students, had tabling events during lunch, hosted evening natural high activities, and created social media content to help spread the word about Big Tobacco.
Our hard work culminated in receiving the prestigious Motivation Award, which recognizes our commitment to promoting healthy lifestyle choices and program excellence throughout the 2023-2024 school year. We are so grateful to the Lindsey Meyer Teen Institute Summer Leadership Camp for this honor and are excited to continue inspiring each other and our community!
