It’s a full circle moment for me. In 1992, I attended the summer day camp and performed in my first MCT production, Hansel and Gretel. 32 years later, my daughters, Reagan (8) and Morgan (6), performed in the same show. Seeing the joy on their faces after camp each day and hearing them practice songs from the show brings a flood of memories for me.
After performing in Hansel and Gretel, I went on to participate in two tour productions, Snow White in 1993 and Cinderella in 1994, when MCT traveled to Guam where I was born and lived until I moved to Missoula when I was 14 years old. Those experiences gave way the opportunity for me to attend PAC (Performing Arts Camp) for the first time in 1993, performing The Best Camp Show Ever. I cannot imagine a better introduction to PAC! I attended North and South Shore for a total of seven years and came back as a counselor for one additional year.
Every year, PAC marked the end of the summer break, but it also meant a chance to be surrounded by people who grew to be some of my closest friends. In fact, Marcy Priedeman, whom I met in 1994 when we were assigned together in the Ronan cabin, served as my Maid-of-Honor when my husband, Jeremy, and I got married. Marcy remains one of my dearest friends today.
Furthermore, the staff (everyone from directors, counselors, administration, etc.) took genuine interest in and cared for us to provide positive experiences and a safe place to be ourselves.
While I love theater and performing, the people were the reason I came back year after year.
It comes as no surprise that when I returned this summer with my daughters, the environment cultivated by the staff continues to be the best part of MCT. Seeing familiar faces 20+ years later was a joy. I was so grateful to be reminded of this incredibly impactful part of my childhood and to share it with my husband and our girls. There is already a request that we coordinate next summer’s trip to Missoula around another week (or two!) of camp.
Today, our family lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. I am a Human Resources Director for Mountain America Credit Union and my husband, Jeremy, is Founder and Principal Strategy Implementation Consultant at strategyNow LLC
