In the spring of 1983, while attending school in Boyle Heights, CA, the basketball coach asked if I would like to attend a boys’ camp located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains during the summer for two weeks. The first question I asked the coach was “How much does it cost?” He told me it’s free. I had to ask this question. My dad worked the nightshift at a shipyard in San Pedro, CA and my mom ran the household. Although my dad was working fulltime, we barely had enough money to cover the necessities and didn’t have the extra money to splurge on movies or a weekend getaway, much less pay for a two-week camping trip, which is why I had to ask how much it would cost to attend.

My parents only completed the 6th grade in Mexico before they started working to help bring in extra money to help support their households. To my siblings and me, they stressed the importance of an education and hard work; they sacrificed a lot to give us more than what they had, to give us a better life. By the time I was 12, I was earning pocket change delivering newspapers and working with my aunt at local farmers’ markets. At 14, I started working at Baskin-Robbins and buying my own clothes, shoes, items needed for school. In my mind, I was becoming a man like my dad and helping my family the same way my parents had.

I went home and talked to my mom about R.M. Pyles Boys Camp. I explained how it’s a camp for inner city boys that gives them an opportunity to see a different world, a different way of life. I wrote a letter to my dad explaining this, and stressed that Camp is free and that I really wanted to go. I didn’t really see my dad except for the weekends and this is how we communicated. They agreed to allow me to go. I wasn’t a kid who was getting in trouble in or out of school; I was a kid with very little financial means who would never have an opportunity to attend a summer camp, especially one like Pyles Camp.

This was my first time being away from home and I was excited to be going on an unknown adventure at such a young age! Finally, after much preparation, I was ready to go and arrived at Florence Nightingale Middle School in Los Angeles at 5 a.m. to wait for the bus that would carry me to parts unknown. I was excited!

The bus ride to Camp was long, my excitement slowly evolved to nervousness and I was scared. The bus was full of so many young faces that looked exactly like how I was feeling. I didn’t know what to expect. I remember seeing kids wearing white R.M. Pyles Boys Camp t-shirts with a bunch of badges sewn on talking excitedly about Camp, not knowing the significance of the t-shirt and the badges and wondered about their excitement. I still have my camper t-shirt along with all my badges, which I am very proud of. After a quick stop at Beach Park in Bakersfield to pick up more scared faces, our journey to Camp continued.

After a couple more hours on the bus, we finally arrived at Quaking Aspen! I had never seen so many trees! And the meadow! We were all talking excitedly at the marvels we were seeing and the unknown. The bus door opened and the amazing smell of nature entered the bus carried by a cool, refreshing breeze! Pine, earthy, woodsy and fresh with a hint of vanilla, smells I’ve never smelled in Los Angeles. Then ‘Ranger’ came onboard. And the world stopped. Ranger started barking out orders for us to get in formation according to age and to be quiet and that while standing in formation it was important to “not lock your knees” or “you’ll DFO!!” What does that even mean!? DFO!? We jump off the bus, I run to the line according to my age and I’m scared. There’s a bunch of guys in a huddle looking at us!! What are they thinking? What are they conspiring to do? They break from the huddle and start selecting boys for their groups.

My counselor was ‘Alley’ and I was 4th pick. We were ‘Alley’s Power’. After a quick lunch of bologna sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, apples and oranges, a six-mile hike to Camp while practicing our cheer: “HIP HIP, HOORAY! HIP HIP, HOORAY! TALLY, HO! TALLY, HO! PIZZA! PYLES! ALLEY’S POWER!” we entered Camp. What an amazing place! It seemed magical! Activities, Outcamp, more activities, Olympics and Last Campfire! WOW!! Those two weeks went by fast!! I DID NOT WANT TO GO HOME. I WAS HOME! I cried! At last campfire, the last morning before leaving for Quaking Aspen, at Quaking Aspen after getting on the bus, I cried. Alley told me I’d be back. I was recommended for Lion Meadows and awarded the Honor Camper star!!

No one or nothing I had ever experienced up to this point in life had ever challenged me the way Pyles Camp, my counselor and the staff did. In those two weeks, I learned so much about myself and what I could accomplish if I set a goal in mind and focused on the end-result. Alley being such a caring, non-judgmental father figure; Seymour helping me get over my fear of horses; Bigfoot helping me get a bullseye; Jumper’s encouragement in the obstacle course. These are but a few of the positive forces, role models I experienced as a camper that helped shape me as a young man. I came back to Camp the following year as a Lioneer, and returned as a worker and continued to work at Camp for many summers!

I’ve had many accomplishments in life from graduating high school with honors to studying Molecular Cell, Developmental Biology at UCLA and working in a lab doing DNA research to co-authoring an article in the Journal of Virology. I presented my research at a conference for minority science students at Florida State University and received NIH grants for my work. Despite my passion for science, the sense of brotherhood, the discipline and work ethic instilled in me at Camp kept calling and I went on to become a firefighter.

Unfortunately, I injured my neck and shoulder while on duty. I could not hold my newborn daughter nor push her stroller, my daily life was disrupted and I became deeply depressed. I saw a therapist and was on medication for my depression, which improved, but eventually left the fire department due to my injuries. I started working for a bank and missed being at the fire station, the work, the discipline. My depression cycled from manageable to severe and I grew apart from my kids and felt lost.

After many years away from Camp, I called the office in 2016 and asked if I could attend a work party and bring my son Diego with me. We attended the work parties that year and the magic of Camp was as evident as ever and saw this in Diego’s eyes. I saw myself in him, all those years ago when I first walked into Camp. That weekend, I found myself and found a renewed sense of purpose in life. This in turn allowed me to reconnect with Michael, Diego, and Mia to be the father I am today and the father I will be tomorrow. Diego was a camper in 2016 and he has moved through the Camp program and is now a worker. His name is Patriot. I am came home and obtained my realtor’s license, and am happy, and when I forget who I am, my loving wife helps me remember.

R.M. Pyles Boys Camp and the people associated with Camp are an influential force in my life. Bravo, Rocky, Sarge, Big Al, Critter, Beaver, Billy Bear, Havoc are a few of the MANY individuals I can name who helped me become the man I am today. I will never forget their guidance, words of wisdom and when needed, a shock to the system to help ground me. The discipline and work ethic, respect for self and others, believing in myself, these are lessons learned and to them and all the other individuals I did not name, to R.M. Pyles Boys Camp, I am forever grateful.

Andres L. “Raccoon” Medina

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