By Abby, Leah, Noa, Sara and Sari (CIT’s)

Sitting on my bed in the last row on upper goda of the biyeet is a stuffed animal cow. It doesn’t look like much for most, Some bunkmates know  that I have had it for a while, but for me it is so important.

Flashback to when I was Carmel Girls Two, I remember sitting in the crowded Chadar Ochel (dining hall)and on the end of the bench as I started to cry. I was having a bad day, convinced that no one would notice my feelings.

Then out of nowhere my CIT , Danielle Strauss comes over and takes me outside. We sat by the flagpole as she comforted me. She looked at me and said,  “Hold on,  I’ll be right back, as she ran up the stairs into upper goda. When she returned she was holding a stuffed animal Cow. She offered me the cow to play with, and as I started to cheer up she told me that I could keep that cow, but I only if I continued to bring it to camp with me. 9 years later, the cow has made its way back to upper Goda, as I embark on my time as a Carmel girls CIT.

Throughout our time at camp, Cit’s have been able to shape our experiences.  They have been able to make impacts on our time here in ways different than all other members of camp. We don’t all know the exact moment when we realized that CITs are special and that we wanted to be a part of that community, but we do know the people who taught it to us:

Jess Leff and Maya
Danielle and Nichole
Lindsay & Dori
Katie

A special shoutout to my brother, Adam, who although was not my bunk CIT, but was a CIT and staff member within our unit, impacting all of my friends’ and my camp experience

Lisa
Sydney & Lauren
H. Kahn & H. Krav
Perry & Audrey

We have all had our special connections with our CITs, and it is finally our turn to be there for our campers. We now have the opportunity to share all that we have learned throughout our many summers at this place we all know as home with our campers.

There are many reasons that we decide to come back to camp year after year, despite the many jokes that Sara made about not returning. Our CITs guided us, but also the strength between us as friends has stayed strong.

We have been friends since Sharon and have had the privilege of  growing up with each other at this wonderful camp. It is here that we meet our best friends and became who we are today.

There was one CIT that we didn’t mention, Kelly Whitehead. Our journey with Kelly did not stop in Sharon, the year we all meet each other. We currently have the privilege to work with our role model in our last summer together as a bunk. Kelly has been here with us from the beginning of our journey as Sharonians, all the way to the end of our camper experience as the proud CITs of 18. We could not properly speak at CIT Shabbat, a day we have been looking forward to since we first met you, without saying thank you for teaching us how this place truly turns friends into family, and helping us allow our campers to feel the same.

Don’t worry Sam, we love you too.