by Reese Price

Trading smartphones for s’mores, a group of seniors took a step back in time to guide sixth graders through the Camp Soles experience.

19 GS senior mentor students were offered an opportunity to attend the annual sixth grade field trip to Camp Soles. Sixth grade students at GS Middle School have been going on this trip for 55 years and GS plans to continue the tradition.

 “It was really nice to get a better idea of what everything looked like because I kind of forgot,” senior Braedon Leatherman said. “It’s crazy how big everything seemed because of how small I was.”

Camp Soles sits on 264 acres, offering wetlands, a lake, woods, meadows and other environmental attractions. This is a perfect opportunity for the students to combine learning and fun. Whether the students were figuring out how to get across the challenge course, ziplining, or testing the water quality, they were constantly learning through real experiences.

 “I really like fishing, finding little water bugs in the creek, and the wetlands,” Leatherman said.

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Seniors who went back to Camp Soles pose for a group photo in the dining hall.

Photo Courtesy: Mrs. Rachel Brannigan

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At the beginning of the school year, each senior mentor was offered a trip to Camp Soles if they had perfect attendance to freshman mentor sessions. Seniors were in charge of groups of sixth grade students to mentor them through the activities.

“To be able to get Seniors back to that spot, I felt was somewhat of a ‘full circle’ moment,” History teacher Mr. Matthew Boe said. “I’m grateful administration gave us the green light to get back.”

The trip included hands-on activities which encouraged all students to use teamwork and collaboration skills. All of the activities were spread across two and a half days for each sixth-grade group, with senior mentors joining in for one of those days.

“I feel like the sixth graders were happy that we were there,” senior Blessing Gantt said. “I feel like we made them have more fun especially since the day we went was rainy and cold.”

As older students, seniors being able to go allowed for aspiring students to have role models and mentors to guide them through the experience. The mentors were in charge of showing students how to be respectful, responsible, and kind, all while being able to learn and have fun.  

“To have Seniors back leading groups of 6th graders around and sharing their experiences I think was beneficial,” Mr. Boe said. “At the same time, it was in some ways a chance to say thank you to those Senior Mentors for their commitment to helping others find their path and making GS a better place for it.”

The hope for the seniors and the sixth graders is to interact and work together. The seniors were very excited to be able to go back and experience the amazing field trip to Camp Soles.

“I was super excited to put a place to all the memories I made there in sixth grade,” Leatherman said. “I also made a bunch of new friends there that I got to go back with as seniors, so that was nice.”

The Camp Soles field trip served as a valuable experience not just for the middle school, but also for the seniors who got to revisit a part of their middle school career. It was more than just a tradition; it was an opportunity to build connections, create memories, and to give back while reflecting on their journey through school.

“I really enjoyed going,” Gantt said. “It brought back a lot of memories, especially sitting in the dining hall and going near the fire.”