I really believe that my experience with Wyman set an important foundation for why relationships are so important. It’s not just a transaction, it’s not just me coming in and being physically present; it’s about investing in others as a person and being willing to listen and engage.”

Now, Teresa is Director of Advising at the Scholarship Foundation and has been heavily involved in the New Era Scholarship partnership with Wyman. “We’ve done a number of different workshops and supports with a variety of different age groups. In the summer we do programming with the rising high school seniors on financial aid and writing essays.

We also do some support with the Summer Bridge Program at Wyman, for the students that are either entering their first year of college or returning for their second year. And one of my favorite things has been the joint campus visits to colleges across Missouri.”

“At the Scholarship Foundation, we look for partners who show up in their work with the same sort of authenticity that our own staff demonstrates. Relationships are integral to the work that we do at the Scholarship Foundation, and critical to all aspects of our programming. It has always been very clear to me that Wyman has that same focus, and that relationships are key to a lot of the work Wyman does. It’s obvious how much effort goes into programming and support for Wyman teens.

Wyman does such a tremendous job in fostering relationships with the young folks in their programming and helping them create a pathway for themselves. So I think the benefit to our partnership is that there’s this foundational development happening for years leading up to senior year of high school.

Particularly with our Wyman partnerships, we see all of the support that goes into persistence. Oftentimes we know that there’s ongoing support and we know that, if we’re not connecting with a student, there is likely someone from Wyman who is.”

Today, Faith’s Wyman connection has grown even deeper through her role as the Executive Director of the Scholarship Foundation, a position she has held since 1989. “The Scholarship Foundation exists for the primary purpose of fortifying democracy, however imperiled it may be. It is not about our students, it is about a broader mission of all students, and in particular the students who, by race or class are priced out of policy, out of higher education.

Our close, strategic relationship with Wyman would have begun around 2009 when a colleague and I started St. Louis Graduates (pronounced ‘grad-you-ates’), which was a collaborative of community organizations and funders working towards boosting college completion in the St. Louis region.”

Since then, Wyman and the Scholarship Foundation have partnered together on numerous postsecondary access programs, including the New Era Scholarship. “The current partnership entails participation in essay writing, FAFSA completion, curriculum planning, application planning and decisions,” says Sandler. “We do that in tandem; we bring our skills to the table and work together to assist young people. It includes the opportunity to see them on their campuses and support them when they’re encountering challenges staying in school or with academic or personal success. It includes access to paid internships that The Scholarship Foundation provides, including research and advocacy work in essential public policy issues that affect students.”

Early on both organizations recognized a shared common mission of empowering young people in the St. Louis area. “At the Scholarship Foundation, we are looking for partners with a clear mission that focuses squarely on those who are disadvantaged by the current educational and economic systems that influence their lives. We’re looking for partners who understand this as a racial and economic equity issue – and who are in a constant learning mode.

We’re looking for people who are going to show up so we can count on our partners, and we are looking for complimentary skill sets. So all of that has made Wyman really the best of our partners.

I think the most important thing that we do is say to these young people and their families, you belong and you’re worth it. And we do that best together.”

We were working with Cornerstone Consulting at the time, and they said, ‘We see the need is teens, we have a program called Teen Outreach Program (TOP), you all should look at it and see what you think.’ So we did, and Christina Donald and Cortez Bernard went to training in Texas to bring TOP back to the Near South Side neighborhood.”  DeVonne then led TOP clubs in the Near South Side for more than a decade.

While adding TOP to Wyman’s roster, DeVonne also led and worked with many programs, including TREATY, Coca-Cola Kids Club, Summer Adventures, Teen Town, Teen Leadership Program (now Wyman Leaders), and community events including Halloween parties, community-service learning projects and Community Fun Fest.  DeVonne also directed the first in-school implementation of TOP at Brittany Woods Middle School.  She then became Director of School-Based Programs, “overseeing all of our school-based services in the St. Louis area: Ferguson-Florissant, Normandy Schools Collaborative, and University City, in middle school and high school.”

In that role, she and her Wyman colleagues started working on yet another innovative new program. “We were working very closely with Dr. Joe Allen, who created the Teen Connection Project in collaboration with Wyman. We started leading the pilot lessons with our Near Southside TOP teens. That helped us realize that middle school was probably not the population that would excel in the program. We then started working with the high schoolers in Near Southside and they loved it.”

In 2021, DeVonne was promoted to the role of Senior VP of Programs.  “I have appreciated the opportunity to help shape these programs. I do think Dave (Hilliard), Claire (Wyneken), Allison (Williams) and Joe Miller, all those people I have spent a lot of time with, really have shaped who I am. I was young, I was in my early 20s when I started working in Wyman and now, I’m in my 50s. I do feel like I had the opportunity to have a lot of voice and support and have shaped the direction of Wyman. I always say I feel like I grew up here, had a chance to move, grow and develop and have had a journey here.

When I really think back about my time, I am leaning into my new role as VP of Programs, but my first love has always been direct service and working directly with young people. I have truly enjoyed watching young people grow up, watching them really find their voices, understand who they are and then sometimes just come back and tell us that. Come back and say, hey, I remember how impactful this program was. I have worked with hundreds of young people over the course of my time here and I see them all the time, they’re adults now.

Christina (Donald), Danielle (Washington) and I went to dinner one evening. We walked in and the server was like, ‘I know you. You were my TOP teacher.’ He kept coming back up to the table and just talking about how much TOP meant to him, how much he got from it, and how he loved community service. And it was such a highlight of our evening to have him just continue to come over with small little anecdotal stuff that happened during his time.

I love having that opportunity to see their progression, to see them grow up and see them find their voices and really start exploring who they are and what’s important to them.”

______

On November 22, 2022, this world lost a very special human being when DeVonne’s life was suddenly ended.   Our dear friend and colleague was with Wyman for over 20 years. Her expertise, dedication, and compassion touched the lives of countless teens. She was a mentor, teacher, mother, wife, colleague, leader, and friend. The world is a better place, Wyman is a better organization, and lives have been forever changed because of her.

Her expertise is reflected in Wyman’s programs, a legacy that will carry on for future generations. Together, we move forward with the example DeVonne has set forever in our hearts and minds.

DeVonne always had a special place in her heart for camp.  She loved bringing families and young people into nature and out to camp, and knew that experiences at camp built community and relationships in a powerful way.  We are dedicating “Lake DeVonne” at Camp Wyman in honor of her legacy, including a special seating area for gathering and connecting, as DeVonne so naturally did.

Fremann said his two visits to the camp, when he was 10 and 11, helped him through a difficult period in his life.

“My dad died when I was real little. Then, in January of 1958, my mother had passed away,” he said. “My mother was a nurse at City Hospital, and the nurses at the hospital got together and sent me to camp that summer. The second year, my grandmother sent me.”

While there were plenty of fun activities, such as swimming, hiking, crafts and sports, at Camp Wyman there also were lessons in life, Freeman said.

“It helped instill some more confidence in me, in my ability to handle myself,” he said. I think it helped me become more independent.”
For the most part, thought, the camp was simply entertaining.

“They’d have activities at night, like ‘Capture the Flag,’” he said. “You’d hide your flag on one hill, and the other side would hide its flag on another hill. It was really neat – there’d be 200 kids out in the woods.”

Fremann, an electrical inspector for the county Department of Public Works, said he recently got back in touch with Camp Wyman by chance.

“I’ve helped solicit sponsors for the camp since last year, when they rediscovered me while I was doing an inspection at the camp,” he said.

“When I went back to the camp, I found out I’d become a legend. Everybody has heard the snake story.”

Camp Wyman is a worthwhile experience for a young person, Fremann said.

“It’s helped a lot of people over the years,” he said. “It helps kids who normally wouldn’t get out to the country. It gives them a new experience.”

I knew I wanted to stick around with the organization a little bit more, so the next summer I applied for a different part of the program and did the college tours. It was cool to be a part of that experience – acclimating young people to universities and institutions, getting a chance to learn about what they want to do after high school, getting that chance to have conversations with them on the bus, in the dorms, at lunch, stuff like that.

I enjoyed it so much I did two more summers of Wyman Leaders and it was probably the best experience I ever had working for an organization. I love the positivity and the way that Wyman cares about its young people. It’s cool to come to work where you’re having fun, and you’re making an impact at the same time.”

In between his work at camp, Andrew also completed his social work practicum with the Teen Outreach Program (TOP), facilitating TOP at Normandy High School for two years. “I got a chance to see a different program and a different side of Wyman. And then right out of grad school (also at UMSL) I worked full time with TOP for a couple of years. And then of course I came back in 2021 as the High School Transition Manager for the Wyman Leaders team. Just knowing the organization and the culture that I would be going back to; I couldn’t pass up that opportunity to come back.” Andrew continued in his role on the Wyman Leaders team until the summer of 2023.

“I’m so indebted to Wyman because it gave me that foundation as a professional to learn how to communicate and work with other people. Because before that, I’ll be honest, I was pretty introverted. And we say that we do that for young people, but it really did that for me as a professional.

I’m really grateful for those experiences and opportunities to be able to get out of my comfort zone. It’s been a pleasure to see the evolution of not only Wyman but myself within Wyman.

At the core Wyman builds strong relationships with young people, staff, and partners, and from there we’re able to make an impact. I think that’s the one thing that I learned from Wyman, all the experiences I’ve had, is that no matter what you do in life, those relationships will matter. Building trust, letting people know that you’re there for the long haul, that you won’t give up.”

Jill particularly loved the magic of the Arts and Crafts Building. “We had scheduled art time during the day, but then campers could come at the end of the day just for free time. They’d all come back and I’m like whoa, I have way too many people in here. but never turned them away. because art is life. it’s a way to communicate, and the building was just a comforting and happy place to be in.

My kids all went to Wyman for their Rockwood 6^th grade camp experience, and my daughter even came as a college student with her sorority. Wyman means so much to us that I’ve had one granddaughter’s baptism there, in the dining hall. We’ve had two birthday parties there for two grand kids; so they think it’s their camp too.

Being a part of Wyman is like you wear it; it becomes part of you. It’s just a great place and it’s never one thing. It’s always growing and becoming; becoming more and better and helping so many people.

There’s always somebody who knows who Wyman is. Like ‘Oh you went to Wyman? Oh, did you know so and so? Oh I worked at Wyman when I was a kid.’ Everybody everywhere in this state knows what Wyman is and we’re respected for so many things. We put on a good program because we care. We absolutely care about everything we do; we are passionate, and we love it so much.

I believe so much in the intrinsic worth of all the programs Wyman has. Its reach is powerful, and it is a part of me like blood in my veins. I’m proud to be a part of everything Wyman is and where it will continue to go into the future.”

I dug and hauled clay from the creek to the Craft House so the kids could do modeling projects. I did police duty at the Pool to make sure no kids skirted the mandatory shower upon entering. I oiled the Dining Hall floors in the evenings after dinner with a huge dust mop (was that stuff really oil?). I worked in the kitchen running the dishwasher until I broke enough dishes that Eddie directed me to the Program Director’s office so I could help the fellows down there for a while.

I also worked in the Pioneer Village after dark several times to partially refill a large hole in the ground. The activity of ‘diggin’ was added in an endeavor to stem the tide of firewood production which was beginning to stack up at an alarming rate. Well, initially “diggin’” was only received with limited interest until some clever staffer designated a site as “Camp Wyman’s Future Snakepit”. Needless to say, enthusiasm erupted. And although no one ever actually saw any snakes stored for future installation in the “Official Pit”, vague and untraceable rumors of yet to be displayed new specimen acquisitions continually flamed through every cabin. Whenever a curious camper would ask “But where are the snakes?”, we would reply with “Don’t worry, the snakes are safe.” And indeed they were too because we not only had no snakes collected, we hadn’t for even a moment ever even considered implementing such a foolhardy fantasy.

And, each time a group of focused but inquisitive wee lads would seek to pause from their frantic task of dirt removal to yell up from the hole to ask, “When are we going to ‘put the snakes in’?”, our standard staff response was inevitably “When it’s deep enough”. Then to the predictable follow-up query of “Is it deep enough yet?”, naturally our response had to be “No, but you’re getting’ close!”. This renewal of purpose would result in an immediate explosive eruption of mother earth that would have rivaled that of Mount St. Helen. So at last it was time for a solution to be applied to this evolving date with destiny between camper and counselor. And a simple one it was, too. And one which came to mean for me a multitude of midnight missions which targeted a very large, very deep and very empty hole in the ground on the outskirts of a certain Pioneer Village. My assignment? “Surreptitious Snakepit Soil Supplementation”. The object? “To just hold ‘em close!”. I loved every minute of it, too!

The longer I dwell on some of these memories, the more I regret not better recording the events and emotions of these two brief but wonderful summers. I suppose it has something to do with the difference in one’s outlook on life at the age of 15 compared to 50. Nevertheless, Camp Wyman will always remain a positive reflection of my teenage years.

When Jason speaks about Wyman, there is one word that continually comes up for him: family. “Wyman Leaders is an education program, but it’s more like a family. They have made it clear they’re going to be there with you for a long time. No matter what. The Wyman coaches are like your mentors. They know where you’re coming from, and they’re very open to listening to what you have to say. It’s something that you can’t put into words, but it’s so positive. It’s family.”

Jason is also grateful for the opportunity to participate in the formation of Wyman’s Youth Leadership Council. “I saw it as an opportunity to expand in a sense. It forced me to mature and see what the real world is. Every day isn’t just sunshine and rainbows, and it gives me a voice to state my opinion and help others state theirs.”

“This youth adult partnership means a lot to me; it just shows that maturity doesn’t go by age. And it can be taught. I see this partnership benefiting Wyman by opening doors and also being the standard. It shows other organizations and companies that yes, there might be young people that don’t know what we’re doing and yes, we might just be teens, but all it takes is a little bit of guidance and patience and you’ll get groups like YLC and create never before seen progress.”

By the time her daughter Arielle was selected for the program in 2008, the hesitation was gone. “Arielle was told, you are going out to camp! I had no doubt. I had seen the effects on Danielle and Cherelle, and there was no discussion. I’m happy they all went and had these impactful experiences.

At camp they got to see different backgrounds, different ethnicities, try different foods. And they all came out of their shells a little bit more. I think the biggest thing for me is that after camp, they weren’t shy and they were so much more communicative. Wyman definitely brought them out a whole lot – now they’re extremely outgoing and talk to everyone.”

Denise also remembers the Wyman staff and support she received. “Early on Dave (Hilliard) and I talked a lot, and Claire, she reaches out all the time. Early on I remember I talked to Annie (Phillips), Jelly Bean (Jillian Rose), and Allison (Williams) a lot. Everybody just sort of gravitated towards Danielle and Cherelle and gave us all a lot of support. It put me at ease. For Danielle and Cherelle, it was their first time ever going anywhere away from me and the Wyman staff assured me that my babies were going to be ok.

So yeah, Wyman has always been so supportive. I’ve seen a lot of kids through camp. It’s like they say Wyman is a big family.”

We made our truest friendships with our camp folk. They see you at your best, they see you at your worst, when you’re most vulnerable, when you’re being your own true self. And you trust them with everything. After you spend 28 days with somebody, they know you better than you know yourself.

I worked for camp for two summers after that, and I’ve just really stayed connected to Wyman since then. I donate when I can, go to the galas when I can, and volunteer when I can. I’ve done a few interview sessions with new campers as they come in, and a couple years ago we went to camp to clean up. I want to give back to the organization because I believe in its mission and all the great work that people were able to do after they left.

I don’t think we experienced this, because we can talk to our mom about anything, but a lot of our peers didn’t feel comfortable talking about certain things with their family, or maybe they didn’t feel like they would be heard. But those things are important. I remember this to this day, it just takes one caring adult to change everything for your life. Some of our campers that I had years ago will still say, ‘I used to tell you everything. And that meant the world to me that I had this one person that you knew truly cared about you as a person.’

I think that’s the piece that helps people persist through the program too, to stay for as long as some of us have stayed and even after. I haven’t worked for Wyman for so long but I’m still very much connected.

After camp, Wyman was still there for both Danielle and her sister. “I’m first generation and had no idea about the process of going to college. What does that even look like? Where do you start? We didn’t know what we were doing half the time, especially with financial aid. And our mom wanted to help but there was a lot she didn’t know about how to help us and support us at that moment. I really relied so much on my Wyman coach to guide us through that process.”

After graduating from Mizzou, Danielle went to graduate school and earned a masters in social work. “I remember Allison (Williams) and Annie (Philipps) writing my letters of recommendation and helping me. It’s on Annie that I’m a social worker and that I even found the field.” Danielle kept in touch with her former mentors, and in 2011 Wyman came calling again. She came back to work as a Program Assistant for the camp, and immediately after that summer she was hired to a new Wyman program supporting young people after high school graduation.

“I was hired as Persistence Manager and tasked with building Wyman’s persistence program. I remember feeling like ‘I cannot do this.’ It just felt so huge, to develop and create this program. But the people at Wyman always pushed me, encouraged me, and told me you are in this space for a reason. I learned so much in that work role and grew as a professional in that space.”

As Danielle continued to grow her career, she moved through roles in Wyman until her final position as Senior Director of Programs in 2022. “I’m most proud of the relationships I’ve built with Wyman over all these years. I value that direct work with students so much, and that’s where I get energized. Even as I moved and transitioned in the organization, students could still reach out to me; they are comfortable and see me as somebody they can call.

The teens are just so amazing. They may not know it yet, but we know they are. They all come in with different paths, different journeys that we’re not aware of, but that does not change the potential of their path. I feel like they already have the skills, the abilities, everything they need to be great, but sometimes not everybody around them or the environment they grow in acknowledges or pulls the greatness out of them. So our teens are already great, they’re already amazing when they show up to us. But maybe they don’t know yet. That’s who we serve.”

“Working with 6th graders in TOP is amazing. 6th grade is the time when you’re still trying to figure out life, figure out who you are. Every day it’s a challenge, but a good challenge. In TOP, we’re helping them realize, ‘Ok we can actually get through this, we know how to get through this.’ I feel like they look forward to seeing us and enjoy talking and working on social emotional learning. I’m teaching communication; I’m facilitating conversations. I’m giving them work to complete, but we can have conversations about different things. In middle school, they’re still figuring out life, figuring out who they are, what they want to do, what’s important – why it’s important. It’s like a relief – they have a classroom where they can relax.

Wyman’s not just a camp. Our teens are learning leadership skills, teamwork, social emotional skills. We’re building relationships and connections. And the adults here support you in anything that you want to do in life.”

“I think so many of the folks at Wyman would echo the sentiment that this work is not what I do, it’s who I am. You don’t get that everywhere you work. So, to get an opportunity to come back and work with and for young people and with a group of individuals that I just have the highest respect for, it was just a great opportunity.”

“I think the work that I’m most proud of has come recently, and that’s been more perspective, learning and growth for myself in the space of DEI. I’m also proud of choosing to be a champion for Community Centric Fundraising at Wyman and the difference that that can make. We are striving to be more inclusive and intentional in our fundraising, and while that can be risky it’s never scared me before. I am proud of us for taking the step.”

“At Wyman, yes, we are directly serving teens. But we are also serving the community. We are developing the next generation of leaders, caregivers, teachers, policy makers, innovators, entrepreneurs. They are going to shape how are community is moving forward. So, it’s not just a service to a young person and their family, it is a service to all of us. It is a service to community.”

The teacher left the classroom. A few minutes later the teacher opened the classroom door & asked me to come out in the hall. I remember thinking, “what have I done this time?” My teacher was standing with two other teachers smiling. They handed me a paper to receive my physical for camp. They hugged me & said Have a wonderful time at Camp Wyman!

Just remembering this story makes my heart pound with joy. God had answered my prayers. How close I felt to him then & every day since. My mother told me that three wonderful teachers payed my way.

So off to Camp Wyman I went for two weeks. It was everything I dreamed it would be, beautiful trees, camp fires, swimming lessons, my first bee sting, making new friends, camp songs, trail walks & making crafts for every one in my family. All of the camp counselors were very nice.

That was almost 40 years ago, but remembering my two weeks at Camp Wyman seems like yesterday. I had a wonderful time at Camp Wyman.

We worked on crafts projects at the Craft House, Swimming in the old pool and then the new pool was built, we hiked, we sang, we played, we did cookouts, we had campfires every night.  We’d go on overnights in sleeping bags, we made ourselves out of sheets and old itchy wool blankets. We would pack our food that we were going to prepare after meeting and deciding what we wanted to make for lunch and cook for dinner, and snack time.

My brothers also attended boy sessions camp and I think they loved it as much as I did.  The food was the best ever. We had 3 meals a day everyday and it was so good. Adj Dillon was the Director when I first started going to camp then Eddie Dillion became the Director.  I worked with Eddie off and on for years helping her do her endless tasks.  She was such a special unique individual who I looked up to with the greatest respect.  She was a woman doing a man’s job and doing it so well. She was loved by everyone.  I learned respect and how to treat different colored skinned people with the respect they deserved.

I had been bullied at school because I didn’t look the same as the other white kids because I have brown eyes, dark hair and dark skin.  My Father was Filipino and when he spoke his English was broken.  The neighborhood our father moved us to was many miles out of town to a home with no indoor plumbing, no running water, and away from the friends I made until I was 5 years old. The only time I was treated as an equal was at Camp Wyman because we were all different colors and we came from different parts of St. Louis and surrounding areas.  It was special, certainly touched my heart.  I went on after being a cabin counselor one summer for 4 weeks as the Camp Nurse.  A dream came true for me. 

Camp Wyman staff made you feel like you were the most important person at the camp not by favoritism but through caring, listening, helping, loving, involving yourself in activities that you never had tried, we learned to cook, set the table, wash up after yourself.  Life skills being taught by others not your parents that were either too much working or not the types of people who cared.  The majority of campers loved coming back to Camp Wyman because it was fun and extremely safe. The counselors (many just a few years older than the younger kids being sent to camp) kept it under control. I met many of my life long friends at Camp Wyman and keep in touch with them still today at almost age 74. I figured I came every summer from age 7 to age 22.  That’s 15 years of my life where I knew I was loved, I had a voice and my opinion counted.  It built my self esteem and convinced me that I could go on to college and then further my education to receive a Master’s in Education graduation in 1995.

My life is immensely better because of the life values I learned at Camp Wyman from the Dillons, mentors (counselors & staff) all had our backs from the minute we arrived to the last minute getting on the bus to leave to return home and start dreaming about returning next year. 

Later when I was a student at Webster Groves High School, I was a counselor for a group of Bristol School Sixth Graders, during the ‘55-’56 school year (my junior year) and then I was employed as a counselor by Camp Wyman for the summer program in 1957, the year that I graduated from high school.

That summer, I had a cabin group of 6 year-olds from the city of St. Louis. It was definitely my favorite summer job of all time! They were darling kids and taught us (the teenagers who worked with them) so much!

I particularly remember one little girl, with the “camp name” Checkers, who had leg braces on both legs, but who insisted on climbing to the top of the Rockwoods Fire Tower at the conclusion of our hike from camp, which included sleeping out under the stars. What an inspiration she was!

Of course I, too, have many memories of Adj, Eddie, and Margaret Dillon and the commitment which they had to the camp.

“We were also looking to see what the active ingredients of the program were, and it turned out it was volunteering. What ended up mattering was that the teenagers felt like they had input in choosing what kind of volunteer work they did.”

As TOP grew more popular and successful, it needed a home with an organization that was focused on this curriculum. “At that point it got picked up by Wyman, and that turned out to be the perfect home for it.”

In the 2010s another collaboration opportunity arose. Joe had been working on the Connection Project (now the Teen Connection Project® (TCP®)) in about 2010, studying peer relationships and the importance of finding ‘your group.’ “The people with whom you feel safe enough to let their guard down.

People often underestimate how important peer relationships are in adolescence. It turns out that our peer relationships are probably the most important things in our lives. Social relationships are crucial, and adolescence is where kids are really starting to form them.”

“When we started developing the program, it made great sense to reach out to Wyman because they’re great with teen outreach. Wyman was super enthusiastic, and it was kind of a dream from the perspective of a program developer.”

“They had done such a remarkably good job with the Teen Outreach Program and they were willing to take a chance, to devote staff time not knowing if anything will come of it. It was a perfect match for us.”

Over the years Joe has been thankful for Wyman and the organization’s partnership. “You don’t get a chance to work with an organization and people like this very often, so you’re just incredibly thankful when it comes along.”

Campers and counselors were given nicknames at the start of each session; “handles” were inspired by some incident or the likes or dislikes of the camper at that time… some memorable ones were “Pickles,” “Peaches”, “Doll Face”, “Dusty”, “Tally”, “Jo-Jo”, “Moon Baby”, etc.

The days of the all-too-short sessions were filled with activities; handicrafts, archery, hiking, swimming, theme programs such as “Indian Night”, cook-outs, camp-outs, overnight hikes, etc. A favorite hike was the mile high climb up the trail behind the dining hall to the ranger’s fire tower (Long since dismantled and removed). There were well over 100 steps to the look-out cabin at the top of the fire tower, but the glorious breeze on a hot day and the wonderful 360-degree view made the climb worthwhile.

After every hike through the woods campers and counselors would take a community shower scrubbing down with Fels Naptha Soap to get rid of occasional ticks or the possibility of poison-ivy rash.

Each week there was the counselor’s “night-off”. Counselors of alternating cabins would go, as a group, driving into Pacific, Missouri to the little theater to view the weekly western film. We always looked forward to quietly leaving camp after “lights out” and seeing the “corny” old “flicks”. After the show we drove back to “Steiny’s” roadhouse or inn for hamburgers and cokes, and danced to juke box music. One of the popular tunes for jitterbugging on the shiny hardwood dance floor was the revised version of “Josephine”.

Counselors who were left to “man the camp” until their turn for “night-out” often amused themselves with pranks such as short-sheeting beds, switching dresser drawers, and running the camp director’s pajama bottoms up the flagpole. The camp director was a very big, stout man, and what a sight his PJs flapping in the wind was the next morning!

These were harmless jokes, I believe they’re considered part of camping life, but counselors could always expect a retaliation and being “out done” by newer and more “diabolical” tricks when their turn came to go to town for the evening.

Counselors often gravitated toward the activities of their own interests or expertise. Some preferred to supervise the overnight sleep-ou8ts, some acted as pool life guards, others liked to handle the archery or fishing activities. As I was an art student, I was often assigned the handicraft sessions. The craft house was centrally located up behind the camp infirmary, and was usually pretty well supplied with materials to make woven construction paper belts, beaded and feathered head bands, rag pot holders, rafia stitched envelope purses, and other items that could be put together in one or two craft sessions.

Those were delightful summers for me. The counselors didn’t make much money, but it was a gratifying experience to help those underprivileged youngsters, and we always went home with a prety “sun tan” from all the outdoor work, and a new perspective on our own more affluent circumstances.

I have visited Camp Wyman several times since; there are new improvements, but much is still the same. Thank goodness for the Kiwanis Club and other contributing organizations that keep Camp Wyman going strong to help inner city youth in building their own memories! Every college student should spend a summer or two serving as a camp counselor. It’s a real growth experience!

It is the thing that hooked me with Wyman. Outside of the fact that Wyman is just a wonderful organization, it took on a project of that magnitude in the community. We were embedded and really became a part of the community – we knew the families, we knew the kids, we knew all the folks who were working across all the different social service agencies. My own children were small at the time so I brought them to work with me and they attended the summer camp. It just really became this large family and communal experience that was invaluable to me.”

Around 2005 Wyman shifted its focus to teens, and Christina started working as the Director of the School Camp Program. She then left Wyman for a period of time, but “I have air quotations around ‘left Wyman’ because I stayed on as a trainer for the Teen Outreach Program. Then around 2008, Allison called me and said, ‘We’re going to do another program with St. Louis public schools, Department of Parks and Recreation and Arches,’ and she asked me to come back and be a part of the leadership team. I did and worked implementing TOP across 5 area middle schools in the St. Louis public school system.

Christina then worked with the National Network until June of 2021 when she transitioned into herrole leading Wyman’s advocacy work. “I think one of the best things we’ve ever done as an organization was invest in research and learning. To make sure that we’re looking at the data, we’re looking at the trends, we’re understanding the needs of our young people so that we can help support and meet those needs. Which is why adding the Youth Leadership Council is so important to that work.

When you think about working with young people, it’s about having a connection, a relationship, and trust. And that goes both ways – when an adult sees them as a full person. I think that’s important for young people, and to have that connection back to adults and peers. I think it’s the core of what makes or breaks an experience for young people and the success of a program.”

Counselors relieved the cooks once or twice during the summer and I got to be one of the cooks. The Dining Hall was a beautiful place. We served our cabin campers family style. Counselors ate what the campers did, except we had iced tea with fresh-picked mint that grew outside the dining hall kitchen.

The late night snacks, the look-out tower. Steal the Flag, winning the clean cabin flag, the wash house (ivory soap never smelled so good) and Circus Night – a big night I got to be Ringmaster and the campers provided the acts they created themselves.

Another Counselor and I got our campers together complete with bedrolls and cooking gear and took off for a couple days to ‘rough it’. I killed a rattlesnake half-way down the trail. The campers and I skinned the snake, cured the hide and made a belt out of it. I still have it. We did the work at the Craft House where “Ginger” helped us.

When it rained we gathered our 8 campers under a poncho (like a hen and her chicks) and inched our way to the Dining Hall for games and singing.

Most of all I remember those campers.

Please forgive the length of this letter; I couldn’t quit. I love Camp Wyman.

A Wyman coach isn’t just a coach for academics, but also mental health.”

Joelly has expanded her impact even further by becoming one of the founding members of Wyman’s Youth Leadership Council (YLC). She decided to join because, “I felt like this was something important, something that could change the future of Wyman and hopefully St. Louis as a whole. It’s a chance to advocate for change.”

“In YLC the adults step back and allow us to create a plan on our own, obviously with their help and experience, but they allow us to speak, create ideas and pursue those ideas,” she added.

“As we are in a youth and adult partnership, we’re learning how to speak with other adults who might not be familiar with hearing from a young person.”

It’s also been a space for Joelly to grow and explore new advocacy projects and topics that perhaps she hadn’t experienced before. “We’ve discussed some topics that maybe I didn’t fully agree with or wasn’t knowledgeable about. But I see how it affects some of my peers or people around me. I’ve become more open to advocating for that change that may not affect me, or that I may not agree with in the beginning.”

Joelly just graduated from Oakville High School, and is preparing to attend Missouri State University in the fall.

“My brother and I didn’t bring money, things like that to camp. We didn’t have much anyways,” says Don. “I was a boy who had a difficult childhood, and the counselors were positive role models who pointed me in the right direction.

Camp Wyman opened the doors and welcomed me. What more do you need? Nobody asked questions about you, family, school, home. You got to camp, and they asked, What’s your camp name? Who do you want to be? Having the camp name was a big part of leaving all the hard stuff from home behind. Also, when I came to camp my school was segregated, but Wyman was integrated. I remember everyone was treated just the same. No matter who you were, you’d have respect and love at camp.”

Don’s favorite thing to do while at camp was visit the fire tower. Those experiences stuck with him so much that Don still researches these historical features and their locations. Another favorite experience was during his final year while heading out for an overnight camp out. “We got lost and it got dark, and our counselor said we’ll just stop and have to spend the night where we are. The next morning, it was just woods. Our counselor said, ‘let’s all be quiet and listen for trucks on 66.’ We headed towards them, found a road, and followed it back to camp. Though it could have been scary, no one freaked out, no one panicked, and we stayed together.”

Don has managed to maintain connections to Wyman through the years. Both of his children went to 6^th grade school camp at Wyman through the Kirkwood school district in the 1980s. In the 90s he returned to camp and helped put a new roof on the old jail office and in the 2000s he interviewed 7^th graders for camp Coca-Cola.

Don is now a deacon in the Catholic Church. Among other things, he has worked in hospital ministry since 1985 and did prison ministry at the city workhouse for 22 years, until it was closed in 2021.

More than anything, though, Wyman is where MeMe met people who have become her lifelong friends. “My relationships with my peers have evolved over the years, but whenever I cross paths with another alum, we know we are part of the same family. Wyman staff are committed to supporting teens as they learn to navigate this world, and their support doesn’t end when you graduate from the program. Even now, more than 10 years after graduating, I still feel very connected to Wyman.”

“I know to never be afraid or feel that I am alone because I know my Wyman family would be there for additional assistance, even in my adult life, when needed. With them I never felt judged, and I knew it was a safe space for me to learn and grow.” 

Meme believes programs like Wyman Leaders matter. “In our city, children don’t always have the abilities and the resources to articulate what they need to grow and be successful, but advocates like Wyman make that possible. Being surrounded by such a positive network at one of the most influential times in your life can really make a positive difference.” 

She continued, “St. Louis is fortunate to have so many programs offered by Wyman, and I know that Wyman has had such a great impact on me. I’m not sure what I would’ve done without it.”

MeMe is currently an engineer at Turner Construction- and is giving back to current Wyman teens. “I know first-hand what the partnership of Wyman donors has meant for me, and I know what it takes to continue these programs for teens today. While I don’t know if I’ll ever match the investment Wyman made in me, as long as I have the capacity to do so, I will donate so those who come after me can experience all that Wyman has to offer.”

“Wyman helped me find my voice. They taught me to be comfortable and confident no matter where I am, and to advocate for others.”

We had a meeting in the St. Louis area about how to handle campers and issues, that sort of thing. They gave us instruction, especially how to handle any problems.

Adj told us in one of these training sessions about not hollering. Adj said if you holler at kids all the time they’ll eventually get used to it and not pay attention to what you’re saying. So if you could counsel them in a quieter voice, the kids would accept that more than if you just hollered at them and said, ‘Don’t do that!’” These lessons came home with Tom, as well. “In my own family, my wife and I had rules to never holler at the kids, never shout. If you wanted to correct them or show them a better way to do things you could do it quietly, and in a soft voice.”

These experiences also helped Tom to understand other people. “I really learned to accept people for who they were and help them out if we could, be open to them and their viewpoints, and adjusting to human relationships and nature and those sorts of things.”

The camping experience wasn’t just exciting for campers, it was a new experience for the staff as well. “Adj and his wife Eddie would take the counselors out in the woods, sleep overnight out there, before the campers arrived from the city and sleep in their cabins. So we got a little taste of sleeping in the outdoors, cooking over an open fire before the campers even arrived.”

Tom continued to come back to Wyman for the many staff reunions held at camp by Adj and Eddie Dillon. His daughter Christina remembers attending these events with counselors and their families. “I remember them being really crowded and really loud, lots of people laughing, a lot of kids, and all of the counselors were happy to see each other. I remember Eddie being really quiet, but there was a line of people waiting to see her.”

“To have the wife and kids come along and meet those other counselors, people that you worked with years before, it was always fun to see them again.” Says Tom. “There are always such good people out there at Wyman.”

Tom went on to work as the editorial cartoonist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch from 1962 until his retirement in 1997. During that time he created the logo used for promoting the 75^th anniversary of Wyman.

Jillian remembers one powerful Trek experience that she had with Wyman Leaders. “We’re trying to get to our basecamp and one of the teens was really struggling. So the other teens are rallying behind her, literally pushing her up this mountain. They have their hands on her backpack and the whole time she’s just like, ‘I can’t do this, I can’t do this, I can’t do this.’ We finally get up to base camp, and that night we debrief about how the day went. At this camper’s turn to speak, she’s like, ‘You know I realized I kept saying I can’t do it, but really I just didn’t want to. And I think that means I really can do it, I just have to get out of my head when I don’t want to do something, and then I can do it.’

And to me that was the switch, and you could see the aha moment happening for a lot of the teens. Sometimes we’re in these situations where you feel like you really can’t do something, but maybe you just need to get out of your head and push through it.  That was exciting to see and she was just so proud of herself. As she should have been, it was really hard.”

These experiences, connections, and the ‘Wyman magic’ Jillian saw early on made her view the organization as something special. “Even in my work in the National Network, we bring to our trainings and to our work with our partners that same ‘Wyman magic’, that camp magic. I work with my partners in a very relationship focused way because I know that’s going to help support their young people. We model our trainings after how we interact with young people and our staff here in the summer. We’re doing ice breakers, team builders and providing structured opportunities for debrief and reflection. We hear from people across the country that it sets our trainings and our program supports apart because that connection really is at the heart of how we operate and what we do.”

Demesha graduated from Wyman in 2012 and pursued a degree in Social Work at UMSL. “Wyman played an important role in helping me find my path – challenging and supporting me as I grew and helping me access the resources I needed to reach my goals.”

“I feel like Wyman always brings out the best in people. When you first come to Wyman, it’s a transition from being a kid to being a young adult. And it’s challenging to have all of these emotional, physical, and mental developments. But Wyman knows what they’re doing. It’s not a surprise to me when someone comes to Wyman and they’re introverted – and they come out with a voice.”

“If I talk to others about Wyman, I tell them it’s needed. Wyman gave me so many skills and helped me identify values that are important to me. This past summer as a Camp Counselor, it was important for me to create the same experience I had, and to make sure the campers had a successful summer. I wanted them to understand what I know: it’s worth the challenge. I don’t know where I would be if I had not come to Wyman.”

“Wyman is family. It’s not like a regular camp or a regular program in my opinion. They are integrated into your lives to a point where this is like my family.”

Anyways, Dottie was the director of camp, somebody named Dottie, was my counselor out here. And she bragged on me like nobody else did. I learned to swim because of her. She said, we should call her tadpole. Well I’d already chosen my camp name, and it was Lani. I thought, if I hadn’t called myself Lani, I could have called myself Tadpole. Because she called, that was like a great gift of her saying, she’s like a tadpole! And I just walked around with the spirit that, I was a Tadpole. I didn’t realize that tadpoles turned into frogs until much later, and I think I’d asked Dottie one time, “Am I ever going to be a frog?” Because I came for years in a row here.

I did get a visitor once, my mother and stepfather came, and that was when the old pool was up here. And they seen, and that was probably the only time my family ever seen me swim was here. I’m overwhelmed out here. I’ve been back since then. I have come down and drove in when I visited when my children came. I don’t think there’s a place on earth that could have been more inspiring to me, as here. Going back to the city after here, I became a big shot. If you remember the, Little Rascals, that’s what I became, and we were the Little Rascals of the neighborhood and I showed them things that I had learned out here, and took them back to the neighborhood and showed them that. So everybody was waiting for me when I came back because I’d just been gone. I told them, most of the kids in my neighborhood didn’t get to go, so this was such an awesome experience for me to bring back to the neighborhood, and tell them all the things that we did.

“I’ve been outside and around nature more. I liked seeing the woods and the view from the pavilion.”

Some of his favorite activities at Wyman so far have been the zip line and leadership classes. “I liked how fast we were going on the zip line. You could see everything while you were doing it. In the leadership classes, we learn how to be a leader and connect with the other campers.”

“Wyman is a way teens can connect with other teens. And doing community service and things like learning about yourself, things that you’re going through in middle school. I would describe Wyman as a fun place to be, and it’s really cool.”

Anthony is excited to continue on his Wyman journey throughout high school, and is already planning for his future. He plans to go to college and is currently interested in studying engineering and business.

Liz was also a big part of the program to plant seedlings at Camp Wyman every year. She helped to  devise an anti-erosion planting program based on types, numbers and placement of trees. Every year during this program, campers planted about one thousand seedlings of various kinds including pines, nut trees, ornamentals, thicket trees, and hardwoods. Ex-campers commonly returned to stop by and see “their trees”. Dave Hilliard remembers that “Campers, under the eye of Liz, were responsible for planting all the trees behind the shop, the lower pavilion, above the basketball court, and along road coming into camp.”

While out at Wyman’s Eureka camp, Liz reminded students, “For this week, all this land around you, this several hundred acres is your textbook. To read it, you have to go out and use all those senses you have – smell, sight, hearing and feeling.”

Pushing through those challenges has also allowed Missy to see herself as resilient. “Of all the challenges I’ve faced so far, I’ve been able to overcome them. I know I can power through even the roughest times.”

Now, participating in YLC for Missy has been life-changing. “I’ve gotten to meet a lot of higher ups within our community and our state legislature. But also, the impact that the Youth Leadership Council has made on my life. It has let me me take a step back and realize that I do deserve a place at the table to speak and my voice will be heard.

Eventually it will be our generation in the seats of our government, and we need to know how it works in order to pursue new ideas that will help better the communities. It affects me, it affects my loved ones, it affects every single person around me.

I see the YLC benefiting me by learning how to get a seat at the table, but also being able to pass that along to others. This group is important for Wyman because it’s a major steppingstone for youth being involved in decisions that are being made for them.”

Missy is now poised to graduate from SLU in 2024, and wants everyone to know how important and empowering an experience like this can be. “I believe that everybody should be participating in this kind of youth-adult partnership and policy changing. Each person’s opinion is valuable and needs to be taken into consideration.”

“I love the organization and I love what I do. I just really love the students. I love hearing what they have to say, having deep conversations with them, and really helping them be able to explore their own thoughts and identity. We’re able to have conversations that they might not be able to have elsewhere.

What sets Wyman apart is the relationships. We view the student as a whole person, and we want to support students in any way that we can. By being in the school building, being a partner we’re really one with the school. Not all partner organizations get to do that. But this is where we work, we know the schools. We’re here every single day so students can always come talk to someone. I think that’s a great part of Wyman.”

In her current role, Gabriela also gets to see how much Wyman does within the community. “We provide evidence-based programs that we know work and have positive outcomes for students. By Wyman being a part of the community, it expands opportunities for teens across the St. Louis area. And provides them with new experiences and support in the moment and in the future as well.

I really see myself as a support to people, and a support to teens. I’m there as an assistant to help them grow. I’m there to help them think through things and figure out who they are and what they want to think about and how they can use these skills now and in the future.

I have a lot of love for the organization and teens and the staff I work with. I would say Wyman has helped me grow as an individual, both professionally and personally. It’s just really supportive and relationship based, which makes the work culture a place you enjoy showing up to every single day. If you feel good, you know that you’re going to show up in a good place when you’re facilitating with students.”

Here is where our children developed self-discipline. Instead of individual choices for activities, the cabin of eight campers now moved as a family. They chose activities together, worked and played together. They learned the fun of being a contributing part of a unit; the counselors learned just as much. Dillon’s encouragement sent many a counselor on to higher education.

The counselors learned more from Eddie, a practicing social worker, as they prepared at training sessions. She emphasized how camp was an extraordinary opportunity since it put children in a positive 24-hour environment with good role models.

Camp was always adventure. Campers were encouraged to sleep out under the stars after creating their own campsite, but one time the sleepout group was caught in a torrential thunderstorm. Extra staff had to hike up the hill to rescue the little campers as they literally slid down the flash flooded gulch, rushed them to the hot showers of the swim pool for a 3 am cleanup and dry out! Another time a group returned at high noon from a hike to find their exit blocked by a huge rattlesnake coiled in the sun. Their girl counselor, Mike, carefully chose a large rock, threw it mightily and killed the varmint!

Counselors were nurtured, too. The democratic spirit made lifelong friends, and most staff returned yearly. Rest Hour alternated leader’s care; substitute counselors gave each leader a half day off a week. Night snacks were a big favorite where the discussions were almost more favored than the food. Once a session we enjoyed Counselors’ Night Out where the Dillons drove us to a neighboring small town and all cheered the cowboy movie, chomped the popcorn and then devoured fast food at Steiny’s.

Kristin didn’t initially see social work as her career path, but now couldn’t be happier about the work she does. “I always had a really strong desire for the persistence side because I had such a rocky road when I was going through college. I was a first generation college student, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I didn’t know what scholarships to apply for, or that I had to apply for FAFSA every year. I was just digging in the dark trying to figure it out on my own. I’m really excited to now be in this role and be able to do this for these students – because I went through the same thing.”

Kristin sees the impact of her work constantly in the successes of her students, and is proud of the relationships she has with them. “It’s not just about coaching for school or college, It’s personal too, because maybe they don’t have a support system that they can just chat with about what’s going on in their lives. For them, I am one of those supports and I want to make sure I’m there for them.”

She also sees her role in persistence at Wyman as a unique opportunity. “College access is a big deal for a lot of organizations, let’s get these students to college! Then they get there and it’s like, good luck! But there are still a lot of obstacles. I hope my impact is that I’m supporting them from that point. My hope is that they graduate with a degree that gets them somewhere beyond the life that they are used to. I want them to know that is possible. You matter, your education matters.”

That new level of persistence was one of the biggest benefits during Tim’s time with the organization. “The teens get that you actually care about them and you know them. You’re not just the after-school person that is going to be there for the semester. For a lot of our students, that’s so important and rare in their life.

You can be very real with students when you build that time and show up day after day after day.”

After the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson in 2014, Tim and the Wyman staff stepped up to provide service to the young people in that community. “Me and a couple other Teen Leadership Program Directors went up to Ferguson and we picked up about 15 of our TLP kids because their schools were shut down. We wanted to provide them a safe engaging place while they couldn’t do anything else, instead of being shut up at their homes – and not knowing if they would have been in danger being at home. So, we brought them out to camp. I think we did that for two or three days until they got the school situation figured out.”

As Wyman continues to evolve in its service to young people, Tim knows that its roots as a camp and utilizing a camping experience will always be at the heart of the organization. “When kids are in that environment, they learn to take and navigate responsibility and they learn to navigate social situations. When you’re building relationships in that context, those relationships are so much more meaningful than most other points in their lives. And I think that’s kind of the heart of what Wyman will always be.”

In YLC, we’ve participated in trainings and met with legislators, which I never thought I would do, but it’s so cool that I got to do that. I’ve had so many eye-opening experiences and I think it’s important for me to do this work right now and as I progress in my life.”

“You can’t support the youth if you don’t know what they want. Or if you don’t listen to them. It’s important for young people to know that your opinion isn’t just an opinion. You can turn that opinion into action.”

Leila is now utilizing Missouri Course Access and Virtual School Program (MOCAP) to finish their high school coursework. “When I graduate high school next year, I want to either pursue psychology or environmental studies. I want to either try to benefit the environment or understand how the environment affects people. I want my career to revolve around people and how their minds work.”

During their time with Wyman, Leila has found their voice and is grateful for all of the experiences over the years. “I think what makes me is my experiences. I like to be really grateful for the experiences I’ve had and the impact that they have had on me.”

“We feel all of these things help children gain social maturity. But most important of all, we think by the time the sixth graders have finished their week here, they’ve slowed down from a run to a walk and are looking at their environment through new eyes and with new understanding.” said Kloppe.

It has since been used by many of the other major school districts in the St. Louis area, and has been duplicated with similar programs in Ladue, Parkway, Kirkwood, and other school districts. In the late 1960s, Kloppe mentioned in an interview that Clayton and University City School Districts also have had similar programs for many years and the Lindbergh District recently initiated one.

In 1967, Kloppe, along with George W. Brown (superintendent) and Liz Matheny published a Manual of Nature Activities in Outdoor Education and School Camping for Webster Groves, Missouri, a copy of which resides in the Wyman Archives. It includes guides and activities on topics like forest ecology, plant and animal identification, and on-trail activities for increasing awareness and appreciation of our outdoor environment.

Bill Kloppe directed and managed the program until his retirement in 1977. That same year, the weather station he had installed years ago at Camp Wyman was dedicated to him. It still sits on the north hill behind the dining hall.

Tooth powder

The cave with the imprint on the wall of the indian maiden with long hair

Cabins 12-16 (are the numbers correct?) with a bridge in front, and at last being able to stay in them. These cabins were for the “older” campers (ages 10 to 12, or so)

Cabin inspection (and not passing some very often)

Talking my cousin Charlotte into signing up for all day hikes if I promised (which promise I rarely kept) to sign up for crafts the next day. (Come to think of it, Charlotte still hates walking and I still hate crafts.)

Turning in ration stamps

Growing too old to return

From the 1940s-1970s, Kiwanians often participated in volunteer days out at camp. Many recall these volunteer days as being focused on maintaining the camp cabins. Each cabin sported the name of a Kiwanis club that agreed to sponsor and maintain it. Clubs from around the region had cabins or sponsored campers.

In addition to volunteering, Kiwanis Clubs raised funds to construct camp buildings and landmarks, including Catfish Lake, the Health Lodge, modern cabins, and the Council Ring.

The list of clubs who have supported Wyman over the years includes Bridgeton, Hampton/Midtown/Tower Grove, Kirkwood, West County, Georgana, Spanish Lake, O’Fallon, Southside, Gravois, University City/Clayton, Downtown, Maplewood, St. Charles, St. Clair/Union/Washington, and Midtown.

The dedication of local Kiwanis Clubs was honored in 1979 when Camp Wyman officially changed its name to Kiwanis Camp Wyman. This remained the organization’s name until the late 1990s when it was changed to Wyman Center to reflect the evolution of Wyman’s mission to include both camp and youth development programs. At this time, a board resolution was approved to honor the historic relationship with Kiwanis, naming the campsite as Kiwanis Camp Wyman until 2003. Additionally, Wyman’s address was changed to Kiwanis Drive, and remains so today.

Read more about the Kiwanis Clubs’ and Wyman’s history in our blog post here!

School was always hard for me growing up. I would feel discouraged most of the time. Having Wyman coaches that want to be there to help me really changed my mind-set about so many things. After being in the program, I have goals and aspirations. I know what colleges I am interested in and what they have to offer. Wyman has helped immerse me in so many different opportunities and now I know what to do. I used to think, ‘who cares about school?’ but now it’s my main goal.

The staff at Wyman are going to make sure you get things done, but they also give you that compassionate, fun side. That loving side. They want to see you succeed, but at the same time want to see a smile on your face when you walk through school. It’s relaxed and allows me and my peers to be ourselves and feel like we’re in this welcome environment without being judged.

Now, I want to go to college and become a marine biologist and baker. I can’t wait to graduate college and come back and pour into my community and Wyman.

T Bone also loved the bonding experiences at camp that built trust and strong relationships between the campers and their counselors like sneaking out of the cabin to watch movies in the dining hall or the rafting and canoeing trips.

In 2009 there was an open year-round position at Wyman that involved T Bone becoming the Team Leader for the Wyman Leader Treks. “I didn’t want to lead people! I was nervous to have it all ride on me. But the other Wyman staff said, ‘We’ve seen how you lead groups and lead people. We see that you can do this.’ It was a lot of learning, but I did it.”

T Bone sees his position and presence at camp as a way to make campers more comfortable with the experience and with spending time in nature.

“Throughout all my years, there haven’t been a lot of people of color who have worked in this position. There have been some, but they move on. There’s not a lot of exposure. Campers of color come out and see, oh man, there’s a person that looks like me, and they’re in the woods, they like the woods and they say the woods is fine.

My family still says, ‘I don’t see how you still work in the woods. I couldn’t do it.’ I think, it’s nature, everybody needs nature and should spend time out here.

I had a conversation with one of the campers not too long ago. And he’s like, you’re still at Wyman? I said, I cannot think of anything better for me. I could think of other things, but I don’t think it would make me as happy. Seeing a lot of the teens, former campers out there doing amazing things, that’s all I want. That’s all I hope for.

Eric recognizes that “Middle school is no stranger to life’s complexities. I think back to my experiences, and it set me on a path with the friendships that I built, the people that I was around. That’s why I feel like it’s important to work with middle school students – trying to build memorable moments in community. Whether that’s a family community, a classroom community, or a school community.”

Eric is now a Teen Connection Project (TCP) Specialist at University City High School with Wyman and continues to develop community and support opportunities for youth to grow around the St. Louis area.

“The impact I hope to have is to help teens build memorable moments. I find value in looking back at those memorable, transformative moments from my own life; and I want to help students build those moments for themselves- and watch them learn and grow from those moments and make them transformative. That’s what the people around me were able to do, and I want to be that person for others.”

“Being in Wyman has been awesome, I love it. I tend to avoid social interaction, but I enjoy doing it at Wyman – with people I know and the people I didn’t know.”

Kiera joined Wyman Leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic so she especially enjoyed the in-person activities available with her Wyman team. “I enjoyed when we go outside to the parks. The year before that everything was over Zoom. We’d have a box delivered to our house of supplies that we’d need. It was fun though. Zoom isn’t my favorite thing, but it was still enjoyable.”

Since middle school, Keira has enjoyed helping out with her school plays and would like to pursue a career in costume design. Now attending Fox High School, she continues to enjoy the Wyman Leaders program and is looking forward to attending a 7-day post-secondary tour this summer.

“As a Black man no one ever educated me on life beyond a degree. I think the degree was always the ceiling. Once I achieved that, it felt like I was stepping into a bigger world and was stripped of everything that I once knew. I have to be patient and learn how to navigate this professional world and communicate effectively in those spaces while also bringing more to it. Even in spaces where I’m surrounded by other leaders, I still find ways I can contribute and add value.”

Jalen has seen a lot of personal growth since joining Wyman, particularly in how much he believes in himself. “Wyman really lit that internal flame and showed me that the more you believe in yourself, the more limitless you become. And the more limitless you become, the more success you’ll see in life. I have a lot moments of gratitude, because I think, wow, I never imagined being in this place when I was young. I never imagined I’d be graduating from Morehouse and moving to Seattle, being in these new environments.

Now, Jalen is a founding council member of Wyman’s Youth Leadership Council, a group of young people focused on sharing ideas, creating solutions, and putting those solutions into action. “I decided to join YLC because I wanted to bring more change within my community.

I want to create a better life for the generation that comes after me and continue to help people. “

“Being able to sit at the table and know that we as young people have a voice and can continue to be advocates for the entire community of young people is huge. Understanding how to navigate and work with professionals and legislators is a big advantage we’re gaining.”

“Wyman allowed me to feel even more confident to try new things and go for whatever goals I have. It makes you see the world in a different lens when you have a support system in your corner that wants to advocate for you and wants to see you succeed; and that’s not an opportunity a lot of people get. Wyman never forced me to be a specific person; they allowed me to grow into who I needed to grow into. But they always made sure I was comfortable and had whatever I needed to succeed. I’m grateful for Wyman indeed.”

In Eddie Dillon’s personal recollections in 1981 from ‘Fresh Air & Love’, she remembers:

The Tillerys, their son Risdon, and his friend, Price Schulte (who worked on maintenance with Risdon, under Mr. T’s supervision), and the Boys’ Program Director all ate at a special table with a white tablecloth and did have some food different than that served everyone else…All the tables for everyone were similar except that the Tillerys used a long dining room table.

In the fourth and fifth years of the program, college visits replaced camping trips, and helped Marnae envision her ideal school. “Those helped me to see exactly where I wanted to go for college, it helped me to prepare. And I ended up graduating from one of the schools we visited.

Wyman helped me to be comfortable with being away from home. And the experiences encouraged me to do new things in college, like study abroad. I also remember, I had a camp counselor who meditated. I didn’t know what he was doing back then, but now I meditate regularly and I’m a yoga teacher. Seeing him do that at the time, it made me more open. That exposure to different experiences, places, and people, it affected my trajectory.”

Through Wyman, Marnae also built lifelong friendships with fellow campers and counselors. “I met my very best friend there. We came back as counselors, we went to college at Mizzou together, and both of us have now joined Wyman’s Board.” Marnae hopes that by being on Wyman’s Board today, she can contribute with her own experiences and help guide the process to make the leaders of tomorrow more well-rounded.

“From a 14-year-old perspective, I was going away to camp. My pre-teen mind wasn’t aware of the intangible gifts I was getting, and I wasn’t paying attention to the soft skills I gained. You never know how the skills and experiences that happen while you’re at Wyman will come in handy in the future.”

In 2009, Annie joined the newly created Wyman Institute, working closely with Claire Wyneken on what would soon become Wyman’s National Network. Over ten years later, Annie is still working with the National Network and has loved the experience of fostering its growth. “It has been amazing to see organizations all over the country, with all of our similarities and differences. It’s been incredible to meet so many passionate people and learn about so many different communities. Every year it grows and changes and there are always pieces that are new, different, and really interesting.”

Nowadays, you can’t talk to many people at Wyman without one of them mentioning the impact Annie had on their career and professional journeys. Annie has inspired many of her colleagues and Wyman Alumni to pursue degrees in social work, even mentoring some of them through their degrees and internships.

“I hope to have an impact to help young people grow into their potential. I hope I’m helping people become strong, confident versions of themselves, whomever they are and whatever they have to bring to the community and the world.”

In 2015, Crystal started working with Dr. Joe Allen in the development of Wyman’s new Teen Connection Project (TCP). “I definitely feel passionate about the program. I think it’s exactly what people need as a whole, and the teens have echoed that. It also addresses how our young people are experiencing the pandemic, thinking about the isolation and challenges with their social relationships and peer dynamics. What a great time for this program to be utilized; I would love if we could get as many young people to experience the program as possible.”

In 2018 Crystal transitioned into a role with Wyman’s National Network, and in 2023 became the Director of the National Network Teen Connection Project.

“For me the National Network was the ideal circumstance. I have such a sense of history doing TOP, implementing TOP, and knowing what TOP looks like in a variety of environments.”

After helping Wyman evolve throughout the past 25 years, Crystal is confident the changes and adaptations will continue. “I am confident that this organization will always have a way of providing and serving young people. Providing opportunities to them or to the community, however that looks. It was a big adjustment for us to move into a focus on adolescents; but we shift and things work, so I expect that there will continue to be shifts in the future because as an organization we want to do our best to serve our young people and community.”

The rest of the year, the support she gets from Wyman staff is something Dominique feels every day. “My coach is my go-to person. I text her and she texts me right back, no matter what time it is. She is always there, and the rest of the staff too. I can go to them anytime.

Dominique is confident that skills like this will allow her to reach her goals. “I think Wyman has helped prepare me to achieve my dreams by helping me become more outspoken. Before, I was really shy; even if someone asked me a question directly, I wouldn’t speak out. And I don’t think I could achieve my goals by continuing to be so shy. Wyman has helped me find my voice and encouraged me to participate in new opportunities.”

As Director, Adj Dillon raised money, did the administrative work, trained, and supervised the summer staff. Sacrifices were commonplace for the Dillons and typified their dedication to the camp. In the 1950s, Adj and Eddie made hundreds of speeches and presentations, working seemingly endless hours all over the St. Louis area. Newspapers of all kinds wrote articles about camping and counseling by Adjor announcing some visit to or from the camp to drum up interest.

Adj was known as a leading educational reformer over the years because of his innovative work as an educator and camp director. His influence so deeply touched the lives of counselors and staffers that many became educators or worked in public service. Long before the national craze for outdoor education, Dillon and other local innovators were teaching a course in “Camp Leadership” at St. Louis University in the early 1940s. The Camp Wyman school camping program began in 1949 with the Webster Groves School District and has been duplicated with similar programs all over the St. Louis area.

With his wife Eddie, the two pioneered the transition of a fresh air country outing experience to that of an organized camping program that developed character and taught principles of democratic living and environmental ethics.

Adj became ill with emphysema and died in September 1966, after a lifetime of generous devotion to others and to Camp Wyman

Jared will graduate in 2024, and is already excited for the future. “I want to go to college and actually do something with myself. I’m not sure what I want to do yet, I just know I want to graduate high school and go to college.

Wyman has helped me uncover that I can do anything I want to do. I can go to college, or anything else I want to do.

Other teens should join Wyman if they can. They’ll get an opportunity that they can’t get anywhere else.”

And Jared is excited to perhaps come back to Wyman and help pay the experience forward. “I want to come back to work or volunteer with Wyman. I want to help other teens like me when I get older.”

After being promoted to Assistant Supervisor of the County Office of Family & Children’s Service, she was transferred to the City Office and promoted to Chief Child Welfare Consultant. Meanwhile she had married Adj Dillon, and again became involved with Wyman when he was hired as the camp’s Executive Director in 1942. In 1946, after a long-time secretary retired from the organization, Eddie retired from social work at the height of her career to help the camp by filling the vacated position.

The camp’s financial support was very unstable, and Eddie kept taking on one camp-job after another to keep the camp running. Eddie worked as Adj’s assistant in all areas, doing bookkeeping, secretarial work, and supervising the kitchen. From the 1940s – 60s, while supporting Wyman, Eddie also worked with St. Louis University, Washington University, Harris Stowe College and the American Camping Association to prepare college students for service in youth camps, classrooms and social services.

After Adj’s death in 1966, Eddie was appointed Executive Director of Wyman. Eddie now recruited and trained staff, recruited campers, made speeches to raise money, prepared budgets and continued to manage the kitchen. Sixteen-to-eighteen-hour days were normal for Eddie over the next six or seven years.

In 1972, Eddie was able to hire an Assistant Director, David Hilliard. Now with better resources and new support for the camp, Eddie began to bring many plans and dreams to completion. Under her direction the summer camping operation was expanded, outreach programs and preschool programs were established, and the camp began to be winterized.

With confidence in Dave Hilliard’s leadership, Eddie Dillon set up a five-year plan during which the two would swap positions. Even after this, Eddie would not stop working. On the eve of her retirement Eddie conceived and launched the region’s first camp for older adults. in 1976, she became the Co-Director of the Craft Program and Director of the Senior Citizen Program. She remained involved with Wyman as Director Emeritus until her passing in January 2000.

Eddie’s relationships and life of service linked three centuries of Wyman’s history. She touched countless lives through relationships built while serving in every capacity possible at the organization. Along the way, she established the values of excellence in service, commitment to best practices in youth development, commitment to staff training and development and adherence to the hightest standards for health, safety and administration that are hallmarks for which Wyman is recognized around the world today.

Mrs. Tillery retired from camp in 1938 at the age of 70. Mr. Tillery, however, stayed on for almost a decade longer, continuing to supervise the maintenance work of the camp.

During that time, Mr. Tillery furthered his legacy at Wyman by quietly convincing the St. Louis Kiwanis Clubs to sponsor Wyman in the 1940s. Kiwanis Chairman Harold Duffy apprehensively came out to camp one dreary winter weekend and found no one there except Mr. Tillery and a dog. Whatever Tillery said to Duffy, it worked. Mr. Duffy simply said, “He really sold me – and I sold the Inter-Club Council.”

Mr. Tillery worked steadily on, until the very day of his death in 1947. On that day he did a full day’s work as usual, closed the office, and went up to the house and passed peacefully away at the age of 86. After he passed, Mrs. Tillery continued to return to camp in the summers.

Prudence and Price Tillery guided Wyman through the first era of its operation. Together, they left behind a legacy of deep concern for the campers and an insistence on a disciplined program. It was a policy that provided the camp with an excellent foundation on which to build and grow. They helped found the deep tradition of loving care for others that is so obviously a part of Wyman. Their relationship to the camp is finely expressed by the motto they placed over the guesthouse mantelpiece that still sits on site, now in the Health Lodge:

“Welcome Ever Beckons
Farewell Goes Out Sighing”

Over the last 15-20 years, Doug Sr. has often been in conversations with friends or family that led to the question, ‘What would you do if you won the lottery?’. Doug would share, “I do like boats, so I admit I would own a very large boat. But the most important thing I would do is start interviewing middle schoolers looking for young students with great potential. My wife and I have raised two children, and somewhere around 6^th or 7^th grade something important happens. Teens start to find their path. And in a lot of cases, social and economic situations can be barriers. I would want to be able to help these young people achieve their potential. What in the world would be more satisfying than that?”

In 2021 when Wyman was looking to fill his current position, Doug was recommended for the job. “Claire invited me to an interview with Wyman, and I didn’t clock it exactly, but it took me somewhere between two and four minutes to fall in love with Claire and the organization. The leadership team is amazing – everybody’s extremely kind.”

And well, “I didn’t win the lottery yet, but we’ve got a whole organization of people interviewing 8^th graders. So I’ll just help do it that way.”

In 1928 and 1929 Norma returned to Wyman as Assistant Director to Mrs. Tillery. She recalls that as Assistant Director she had the fourth room in the help quarters all to herself as she was there for the entire summer. Her responsibilities were now to supervise the counselors, plan activities, take groups back and forth on the train, inspect cottages, and generally help the director keep camp running smoothly.

Through activities at Washington University, Norma met a young man named Melvin Dillon. It was through her that he first came to Wyman in 1930 becoming the third Boys’ Program Director at camp. Norma was also Mrs. Tillery’s Assistant when Edmonia Beal (later Eddie Dillon) first came to Wyman as a counselor. Eddie herself has said that Norma was a great influence in bringing her into social work, along with her other experiences out at camp.

As a result of her time at Wyman, Norma took up social work studies at Washington University. She received her bachelor’s degree from the institution in 1929.

Over the years Norma Yerger received many letters and invitations from campers, which she donated to the Wyman Archives in the 1980s along with her personal recollections of the camp. She kept photographs, newspaper clippings, jokes, skit lists and other records of her activities while at Wyman in hand-made photo booklets, some of which were also donated to the archives.

Her first Broadway appearance was “The Farmer Takes a Wife” in 1934 with Henry Fonda. After years on Broadway, she started acting in Hollywood movies, including “The Man Who Came to Dinner” (1942), “White Christmas” (1954), “Dennis the Menace” (1959), and “The Music Man” (1962).

On December 19, 1949, in a one-hour live Studio One in Hollywood presentation on CBS, Mary Wickes originated the role of Mary Poppins.

Mary was also a common face on television in the 1950s and 1960s. She was good friends with Lucille Ball and guest starred in The Lucy Show, Here’s Lucy, and I Love Lucy (including episode, “The Ballet”, playing Madame Lamond). She also earned an Emmy nomination for her work on The Gertrude Berg Show.

Mary continued acting into her 80s, with roles including “Sister Act” (1992), “Little Women” (1994), and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996), which was released after her death in 1995 at the age of 85.

Mary was known for her killer comedic timing, excelling at both farce and dry wit. Her star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame was inducted in 2004.

To learn more about Mary and her St. Louis roots, visit UMSL’s digital exhibit “In Character: “The Life and Legacy of Mary Wickes” or visit the library in person to view the Mary Wickes’ papers.

Jason became a full-time staff member in 2005, working with year-round and summer camp programming. He is still heavily involved in planning and scouting the Leaders’ treks each year, and loves finding new and challenging experiences that bring out confidence in program participants.

During his job search, Jason looked at other camping programs in the area, but none of them could compare. “There are other camps in the area but none quite like Wyman that have the same opportunities or are doing this caliber of programming.”

Jason met his wife, fellow Wyman employee Jillian Rose when they were both working summer camps through the organization. The two have such a connection to the Eureka property that they got married there in 2008, and even lived on site together for several years.

Though Wyman has grown its reach over the years, Jason still sees camp as an integral part of the organization. “

She’s also grateful for the persistence support she had from her coaches during undergrad. “My coaches were the main three people who helped me through undergrad. It was hard, but they came through for me and helped me out so much.

I don’t even think they realize how much they helped me or were there for me. I was always texting my coaches asking, can I do this, can I use you for that, I need some resources, I need something. And whatever I needed, they provided.”

After graduating from Wyman Leaders Anisa didn’t think she’d come back to the organization. “I came up in Wyman, knew Wyman my whole life, but I never thought about working for Wyman,” she says. But during her time at the University of Central Missouri, Anisa ended up doing an internship at Wyman and a year later she applied for a full-time position. “And here I am today. I love the position. I love working with Wyman. I can tell the people that Wyman hires are passionate about their jobs, and love helping the next person out.”

“Wyman introduced me to so many things. It changed me as a person in a good way; it brought out who I was. When I joined Leaders I was extremely shy. Wyman pushed me out of my comfort zone, and because of that I’m not afraid to experience anything.

I could go on and on and on about Wyman. I am grateful for my experience; I am grateful for where I am today and who I am today.”

Those were the days, and I can still laugh about them.

P.S. In 1950 I would up teaching Physical Education and Driver Education at the old Eureka High School. On days when we could not use the gym nor be outside because of mud on the field, we would walk (gym classes) down the road to the entrance of Camp Wyman. That was a good workout for the kids and the teacher.

Since returning to Wyman, Allison has held many more positions in program development and implementation. “I laugh that I’ve probably had probably 13 different roles since then. I’ve been fortunate that with Wyman, there was always the next challenge, the next opportunity.” She helped direct Wyman’s first foray into program evaluation, and documenting outcome and impact. She then went on to support the Community Connections team in the Near South Side of St. Louis City, and was part of the team that developed what is now Wyman Leaders.

And in 2009, Allison was a part of launching Wyman’s National Network. “We knew that Wyman could only impact so many youth in our direct service programs. But we were great trainers and had this wonderful evidence-based program in the Teen Outreach Program. We wanted to use that to support other organizations who were doing similar work with young people, and expand our impact by scaling the program through partnerships.”

Today, Allison is fortunate to focus on Wyman’s national partnerships, support research, learning, and innovation efforts, and strategize ways to center camp experiences. Allison’s early experiences at Camp Wyman continue to hold a special place in her heart – and it’s where she met her husband, Kevin, working as camp counselors together.

“I had never experienced another place as impactful and special. A place where I know so many people have life changing experiences. It is the place where the sense of belonging and community and connection and caring and relationships that carry across all Wyman programs started.”

In the afternoons we always had two sessions in the swimming pool. Then we gathered at the Assembly hall in the evening and they would have some announcements and then they would have a kind of a show. In 1927 when we were here we had a very large girl counselor by the name of Mary Wickenhauser. And since we were here for all summer, every time they had a new set of campers they did Jack and the Giant killer again, and Mary would always play the part of the giant. And she turned out to be the Mary Wickes of the movies and of the TV. So that was one of the people that was a counselor that went on to be somebody else.

The years that we were here for all year they would have two and a half days, and Mr. Tillery would always gather us up, and it was only about eight or nine of us that were staying the whole summer, and he would show us around the barn. And they had ducks and they had chickens and he made sure we understood how corn grew and tomatoes grew and the potatoes grew and the carrots. Foods that city people with brick sidewalks didn’t understand or didn’t know.

I knew where the old Elberta peach trees were, right up behind the swimming pool, this was across the road and up the hill, and I took the girls up. And the girls those days, they got a gingham dress and gingham bloomers, with frills on the bottom. So in 1928, things were not the way they are now, and we went up there, the girls held out their dresses and we filled them with great big Elberta peaches and of course Mr. Tillery caught us right behind the swimming pool on the way back and he said, I see you found my peaches. He said, take them to Mr. Gray and we’ll have peach pie for supper.

Claire designed the Camp Caravan Program, which brought formative camp experiences out of Eureka and directly to many students in the region. “We developed a whole program that included environmental science, social emotional learning activities, conflict management, and team building. We outfitted a box truck and created a mobile camp. We went around to schools and neighborhoods and set up camp, running all kinds of programs throughout the region for years.”

One of Claire’s largest contributions to the organization was recognizing the importance of, and securing, the Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®) curriculum. Claire worked as a facilitator and trainer for TOP around the country, and when the curriculum came up for sale, Claire knew Wyman needed to acquire it. What struck Claire about TOP from the beginning was the way she saw young people engage with it. “It was so centered on them, on things that matter to young people. Not things that adults want to matter to young people, but what teens yearn to talk about and work out. There was a lot of attention on creating a strong bond in each group, which was very aligned with how we lead and influence the environment. The other thing I saw is that every staff member that we trained in TOP at Wyman grew in their professional practice. They went from a teaching mode to being great facilitators getting at what youth development truly is. Which is centering on the young person and their developmental needs and helping them to identify and leverage their strengths.”

Claire has had many moments in her journey where she could have chosen a different path, but she always chose to stay with the organization and the St. Louis region. She saw a bigger, more impactful future for Wyman and was an immense part of bringing those changes into the organization. “You have to bring new thinking and fresh, different perspectives if you’re going to make this community what it really can be. And that’s a community where everybody has what they need, is able to contribute through their strengths and everybody has an equitable chance to win.”

In 2019, Brandi graduated from Missouri State University (MSU) with a degree in Child and Family Development and an emphasis on youth development. She is currently about to finish an MED in higher education at the University of Missouri St. Louis (UMSL). Brandi credits her experiences with Wyman for the path her career has taken. “My journey was unique and it came with its own sets of challenges. I went to college as a cellular and molecular biology major, but it wasn’t for me. Looking back, the supportive relationship that I had with my Wyman coach really helped me understand what I wanted. I like impacting my community and I always knew I wanted to work with people. I knew this is what I wanted to do; I wanted to continue working with youth.”  

She knows how important it can be for teens to have a support system outside of their homes to help them navigate adolescence. “Having a trusting, supportive relationship with my coach – someone who helped me discover who I am and who understood what it was like to be a first-generation college student – was incredible. Through my work, I hope that I am able to impact just one student; to be able to build even just one meaningful relationship with a teen who knows that I’m here to support them in any capacity that they need, and knows I truly am a champion for their success in whatever that may look like. Because I know how important and transformational that can be.” 

“To me, Wyman is magical. Maybe because I’ve spent so much of my life here, but to be able to come back and see teens have the same experiences I had is such an amazing feeling.” 

Frank Wyman was very active in the project of purchasing the camp’s rented farm acreage from Dr. Monroe. In 1910, Wyman solicited a local land baron, Peyton Carr, to help raise funds to buy the land. Carr agreed to pay half of the cost if Wyman raised the rest. Wyman quickly raised his share and the 80-acre farm was purchased that same year for $3,500.

Many visitors probably remember the original row cabins that housed campers up until the 1990s. In 1915, Wyman undertook a campaign to build permanent structures at the camp, including the original sixteen cottages. Several buildings from the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis were also purchased and moved to the property.

In the absence of a regular system of support, the presence of Frank Wyman was vital. The effect of his constant and extensive fund-raising efforts was to assure a steady flow of operating funds. Had he not been interested, the camp might very well have been forced to close.

Over the years he gave much time and effort to the farm and encouraged many other people to do the same. He often visited and enjoyed spending time with the campers. In 1922 the name of the camp was changed to The Frank Wyman Outing Farm in tribute to the man who took such an active part in raising money for the property and the young people it served.