John’s Story

Read how one BCM youth was transformed through his time in the wilderness

When we first met John, he was a super enthusiastic kid eager to learn new skills. However, he had a hard time committing and seeing himself through difficult challenges. He first joined us at Overnight Camp at a Denver Mountain Parks property in the Colorado foothills.

With the help of a skilled instructor and caring mentor John thrived at camp and was so inspired by his experience that he wanted to join us the next summer for a second camp!

John was eager to return for another year; however, his agency leader informed us that John had been getting in trouble at school. John wanted to come back to camp as an assistant to help the younger students but his agency made this opportunity conditional on his good behavior the rest of the school year. Fortunately, this was just the motivation he needed to stay out of trouble. When he came to camp, he set an amazing example for the younger students and assisted us in facilitating and helping campers who were homesick or having trouble following directions. His agency leader told us it was an amazing transformation!

In his fourth year with BCM, we offered him the opportunity to join us on a week-long alumni expedition. John was honored to attend and, although he was the youngest, he stood out as a leader, opening up about his life and teaching the group many things including persistence and compassion.

John’s new found confidence continued after the trip and led him to gain leadership roles in multiple community organizations. He now stands out as a young leader in his community. John caught up with BCM recently and told our program manager how important it was to him to be invited on the alumni trip and the impact it’s made on his life.

If you’d like to help us facilitate more transformations like John’s, please consider making a donation here!