When I was a day camp counselor in high school, I loved going to work every day. I had a few campers who didn’t have the best home lives, and I knew for those six weeks that I was a constant for them. I was someone who was challenging them to try new things; I was supporting them when they needed it — and I was a special part of their summer.

Now, as a parent, when I receive the notices from my children’s camps that I need to log in and start the process of filling out forms, I’m always excited for the part that asks me to write to the counselor about my child. This summer is my son’s sixth summer at camp and my daughter’s fourth. My children are not only amazing human beings because they are mine, but truly because of their time spent at camp.

This year I got to write to my son’s counselor about the fact that this was his last year of youth hockey, and as someone who defines himself as “being a goalie,” these next few years of high school hockey will hit differently. I also got to share what his first year of high school was like — that he had to work a bit harder than he did in middle school, but that he has met that challenge head on, thanks to camp. At camp, my son water-skied, shot a rifle, made pottery, and aimed an arrow, all for the first time. Because of these firsts, and many more at camp, he was able to not shy away from school being a challenge. Instead, he persevered and knew he could do it. He knows that being a goalie is not the only thing that defines him; he is also an amazing teammate and a kind friend.

In my daughter’s letter, I shared that she is heading into middle school in the fall, so this year was her last at elementary school. She has finally found a core group of friends after many years of feeling like she hadn’t found her “squad.” She used her voice and participated as the MC of the schoolwide talent show, introducing her peers’ acts in front of the entire school body. And she is trying out for the school’s first-ever fifth-grade play. These three things may not seem like big achievements, but for my daughter they are huge. It’s because of camp that she has learned to trust her own voice. It’s because of camp that she started joining different groups of kids on the playground to find her niche. It’s because of camp that she can see herself on stage.

So, to all you camp counselors, as you arrive at camp for training this summer and you read the letters that parents and campers have written to you, know that for some of us, that is the best part of anticipating camp — writing to share the exciting things that have happened over the last year since they left you; sharing some of the achievements they’ve experienced as a direct result of being in your circle last summer; and knowing that besides family, you may be the only other person who will be able to see the growth our kids have experienced year to year.

Know that this parent is so glad — whether you are a returning counselor or a first-timer — that you chose to work at camp this summer. Your impact on our children will be felt long past the end of this camp season. Your impact will be woven into each camper’s story for the rest of their life. I can’t think of a better summer job than that.

Marna Redding is chief development officer for the American Camp Association.