Written by Rebecca Wallace

Madison Archer, one of our 6 interns at camp for the spring semester, graduated from the University of Georgia in December 2019 with a degree in Human Development and Family Sciences. She has been on summer staff for the summers of 2018 and 2019 and recently decided that she was ready to experience a different side of Camp. 

While thinking through her options post-graduation, she felt a tug to stay in Athens, GA, which was her college home for so many years. However, after lots of time in prayer and conversations with close friends, she began to think about what the Lord might have for her outside of Athens. She decided that while the internship was out of her comfort zone and not a part of her original plan, God was calling her there for a reason. After many conversations with staff from Camp Highland, she decided camp was going to be her home for the next few months.

While Madison has been around camp for many years, this semester will bring a whole new set of opportunities, challenges, adventures, and areas for growth. Camp has so many connections, and everywhere you turn there is a chance to learn. While being on summer staff and volunteering in the off-season has given her a taste of camp, she will now have the opportunity to get the full experience of what camp has to offer. Madison has already seen the difference in what this role has in store and has been able to serve, invest in, and support many groups that have come up.  

While she is unsure of what exactly is to come after this semester, she is hopeful for what the Lord will reveal to her while she is here. Being an intern is a special opportunity to not only see how the ministry at Camp works but also, to observe other ministries either by going and visiting those we work with or just by observing the groups that come to camp throughout the season. Whether or not she ends up working with a group she meets while at camp, she is excited to be able to bring what she has learned from Camp into whatever her next work environment may be. There is something special about Camp, and she hopes to take that with her even once her time here is over. 

One area that Madison feels makes Camp unique is the culture that it presents to people that enter into its community. It has the capability of making people feel safe and right at home, but at the same time creating constant challenges that lead towards growth and fruitfulness. Madison said, “Camp is special in that it allows for a safe place to be uncomfortable. It makes you feel at home, but it is not just about comfort, it is about the challenges that come with it.” She is excited to see what challenges will come her way this semester, along with the growth that will follow.