Rotary changes lives and promotes leadership. The Rotary Club of San Diego sponsors Camp Enterprise, a weekend program that does just that for high school juniors.  Jackie Meyer is the chair for Students for Camp Enterprise in 2016 and shares this story from this year's camp.
 
As Chair of Students for Camp Enterprise this year, I receive the information about allergies or mediations needed for students.  When I received Karla’s (not her real name) permission form, I knew the drugs listed were serious ones.
 
Fast forward to Thursday night when the students gather for their first team session.  Karla was unfortunately in bed.  I had been told earlier she might hear voices and why she needed such medication.
 
Come Friday, I was surprised and very happy to see that Karla was engaged and determined to make up for lost time with her team.  My fears of sending home a student early were beginning to fade.
 
Every Camp Enterprise includes a talent show.  We make it a very special event with fun music and lighting effects that create an entertainment atmosphere.  Imagine a room filled with an audience of approximately 120 people, mood lightening on the stage with a black drape backdrop, the remainder of the room dark with all eyes focused on the spotlighted entertainer.
 
Turns out, Karla is a speed artist.  Many of us have likely seen a speed artist in action and Karla was no different in this regard.  She rapidly drew lines of various colors on a flip-chart to some snappy music and then spun around her drawing right-side up to show us the face she had drawn upside-down.  Impressive! – But she wasn’t done.
The spotlight is still focused on Karla and she begins to tell us how she became a speed artist.
 
At the age of 12, she was in a hospital as she had been considering suicide.  She was unable to express her feelings and not really able to talk.  Through therapy she learned speed art.   She went on to tell us she had been a victim of trafficking and although she would never understand why she was picked for such a travesty, her art has allowed her to express herself.
 
The entire room filled audience gives Karla a standing ovation with emotionally charged clapping, whoop-whoops, cheers, whistles and most of all a flood of tears no matter female or male.
 
On Saturday, the last day of camp, Karla was announced as our first place talent show winner where once again, she received a standing ovation with the same emotion and then some from the night before.
 
At 6:11 Saturday evening I received this text from Karla’s high school counselor who was responsible for picking up Karla after camp.  “Thank you! She (Karla) had the time of her life!  I cannot thank you all enough!  This was Karla’s first time outside the trailer park and she won first prize at talent night.  She said her dreams are endless!
 

Editor's Note: Camp Enterprise is a program based on a program of the American Management Association.  Camp Enterprise is a three-day event for high school juniors tto learn about free enterprise, entrepreneurship and business planning.  Each team of students comes up with a new product concept. They then, in three days create a plan to fund, develop and market their product. They then present their business plan to a panel of judges who select the winning team.  The students are also tasked with incorporating the Rotary Four-Way Test into their planning so that they can learn the importance of high ethical standards.