Camp gives youth a shot of self-esteem

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CAMP GIVES YOUTH A SHOT OF SELF-ESTEEM

Banks' program gave 2 participants new outlook on life and a new attitude.

September 14, 2003

For two campers, the idea of increasing self-esteem became reality at TZone. Christina Carlos, 14, and Mara Bochenek, 15, found confidence and new perspectives on life.

Christina: "I'm really like a shy person. I've always wanted to try out for like cheerleading and stuff like that, but I'm always too shy. They said (the camp) also was for your self-esteem, so I was like, 'OK maybe I can go and get over my shyness and stuff.'

"I used to get a lot of put-downs because I was mixed. I would try to hang out with the black girls and they wouldn't like me because I was half-Mexican. And then I would hang out with Mexican girls and they wouldn't like me 'cause I'm half black, so I was really like caught in the middle. . . . I didn't understand why I just couldn't hang out with both.

"Before I was going to camp, I was just isolating myself. And then when I got there and saw all these people, I just started to open up more. With all the night talks that we had, I let a lot of the stuff I was hiding out. It felt really good to let it all out and then just to talk about how I could change it, and how I should feel happy and better about myself instead of feeling sad and looking at the bad stuff about myself.

"Now I just ignore the people (who put me down). I'm happy with myself. I actually am going to try out (for cheerleading) 'cause I don't feel shy no more, because I feel like there's nothing else I need to hide."

Mara: "My dad heard about it on the radio station. I thought it would help me. . . . I was starting at a new school and I thought that it would give me a little head start on what to look forward to.

"I thought it would be a fun experience, a new experience. It'd be different and I'd meet different girls. I had friendship problems, and I didn't think I looked very good.

"At camp, everybody cared about each other and no one put anybody down, and it was just a whole big happy family. You just get a different outlook on life from going there and seeing all these other people and what they've been through.

"My self-esteem has gotten a lot higher than it was before, and I have a different outlook on life. Before I looked at everybody like, 'Ooh, everybody's staring at me. I don't look good.' Now, I am who I am and I'm not gonna change for anybody.

"I don't think you should change your image just because somebody looks better than you, or you want to look better than somebody. You are who you are, and you were made that way for a reason. You are beautiful for who you are, and that's all you need."

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	Two summers ago, Niki Bastian argued with her grandmother about going swimming. Her grandmother felt that she should do something besides hanging around the pool with her friends. Niki, 18, who lives in Los Angeles, had heard supermodel and actress Tyra Banks on the radio, talking about TZone, her summer camp. With applications due that day, Niki persuaded her grandmother to let her apply. Founded
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