Meet Amy Monsky By Maggie Mitchell

Fun, friends and free thought… This was the slogan that drew Amy Monsky into the camping industry and the one that still keeps her there today. Amy discovered

Camp Quest while struggling to find a camp for her children that was open to campers/families with humanistic beliefs. She found that not only did Camp Quest's open-minded nature fit with what she was searching for, but the general camp culture was something that she was personally drawn to. Amy is one of those people who you instantly feel connected to; someone you feel comfortable around before you ever really know her. Her warm persona and bubbly personality give her that “camp mom” feel, even when just speaking to her over the phone. So naturally, she fit right in to the world of camping.

Amy started her journey with Camp Quest as a counselor in 2010 while her oldest son attended as a camper. It was after this week that Amy knew this was going to be more than a “one and done” ordeal. Since Camp Quest is independently run by volunteers, Amy decided that she wanted to start her own session. The very first year, Amy started off with 35 campers. Now, her camp has grown to averaging 115-120 campers per session and is opening up a third site in the Southeast Region. With camps in South Carolina, Mississippi, and one opening in Florida, Amy dedicates a lot of her time, energy, and heart into making Camp Quest the best it can be, year after year.

Though only “required” to speak for 15 minutes for the purpose of this interview, Amy and I found ourselves chatting for over an hour about the impact camp has had on us and our lives in general. We focused on that impact and realized that that’s part of the pull; the thing that keeps us involved with camp and makes work feel less like…Well, work. When we’re at camp, we feel like we’re a part of something bigger than ourselves. We feel the work we do and see the impact it has on others. Amy said it best when she said, “You live on through the legacy of the work you do.” Luckily for us, we get to work on that legacy every day.