Most of us have been to camp before, whether it be one where you stay in a cabin and do fun activities or one where you stay at a college and learn. Now, I’ve been to both, but only one saved my life.

Let me set the stage: I was 13 years old and drowning in depression. I had finished the seventh grade (a year straight from hell) and I honestly wasn’t sure how much more of life I could take. One day my parents called me into my dad’s study and told me they found an academic life skills camp that they were going to send me to that summer called Supercamp.

Supercamp? Are you kidding me? Unless they are teaching me how to fight crime and save the world, I wanted nothing to do with this “Supuercamp.” No matter how much I tried to fight them on it, at the end of July we were on a plane heading to Brown University where I thought I was about to waste a week of my life learning how to read and write better.

I got checked in, had to hand over my phone, got my nametag, and then my parents kissed me goodbye with a bit of hope in their eyes. Soon I was in a group of about 150 other middle school kids all making our way into a room, and I was scared out of my mind.

We walked through the doors to see about 20 adults standing on chairs, dancing like idiots, and screaming the words to “Party Rock Anthem.” I stood there in shock and screamed internally at my parents for forcing me into this. What is with these crazy people? I soon discovered that I would gladly become one of those “crazy people.”

Yes, I went to sessions where I learned quantum learning tips and tricks (which work really well believe it or not) but the most important things I learned were from group sessions where we talked about things to boost our confidence.

Supercamp operates on the 8 Keys of Excellence: Integrity, Failure Leads to Success, Speak with Good Purpose, This Is It, Commitment, Ownership, Flexibility, and Balance. Every day at camp, we were reminded of these keys, and most importantly we were reminded to live by these keys. Personally, I’ve found incorporating all eight keys into my daily life helps me not only be a better person, but also allows me to be more confident in myself.

I could try to explain what Fimage is, how important it is to live above the line, or what in the world a power whoosh is, but it wouldn’t make sense because you haven’t experienced it. I beg you,experience it.I came home from camp a new person. Not only was I stronger academically, but my confidence and self-acceptance was through the roof for the first time in a long time.

One of the most life-changing moments came during one of the late sessions. One of the facilitators was dressed like a bully, and in her hand she carried little slips of paper. They didn’t say anything, but she gave one to every person she insulted. At first we, as a group, found it funny. She would pick out minor flaws in someone’s appearance and we would just laugh as she gave them one of those little slips.

Soon it wasn’t just minor flaws, it was someone’s speech impediment she was making fun of, it was their physique, then it was the color of their skin. I looked around me to see everyone crying, holding each other close, and keeping their head down praying they weren’t next. Then she called one of my friends ugly, and I snapped. I stood up and said one thing or another about how she can say what she wants but we have each other.

The bully snapped her head and walked straight towards me, got up in my face, and laughed at me for speaking up. She gave me a slip of paper and told me to sit down, but I said no. I tried to give her the paper back, but she kept said “No, it’s yours. I can’t take it back, it’s yours,” to which I suddenly had a realization. With tears streaming down my face I looked her straight in the eyes and said “It may be mine, but I don’t need it,” and I ripped apart that little slip of paper that had been defining me.

Rip. My paper fell to the floor. Rip. Someone else’s paper was falling to the floor. Rip. Another paper began to fall. Rip. Another. Rip. Another. I looked around to see all 150 students standing, tears on our faces, papers falling the ground.

We have the power to choose who we want to be. It doesn’t matter what anyone calls us, only we can pick our definition. Something shifted in me that night, for once I was in my power, and that was a feeling I didn’t want to forget any time soon.

My parents picked me up after seven days, but they didn’t pick up the sweet little daughter they’d hope would return. An empowered woman came home. They both cried tears of joy at the visible difference. They weren’t sure how, but an academic life skills camp that I had resented for months had saved their child’s life.

I returned to the senior forum at Stanford University the next year, and then again the year after that, and then finally finished a leadership forum at UCLA in the summer of 2014. Each year I returned home smarter, stronger, and so much better mentally than when I left.

Statistically speaking,73 percent of campers report noticeably better grades and experience 100 points average increase in SAT scores,, but more importantly 77 percent report improved family relationships, 93 percent report improved peer relationships, and 81% feel more confident in their daily lives.

I can honestly tell you that Supercamp, as silly as the name may seem, is one of the best things to ever happen to me. Without this camp, I wouldn’t be writing this article, I wouldn’t be going to the college I’m going to, and there’s a good chance I wouldn’t even be alive. Supercamp taught me that this is it. This may be the only chance you get, so take it. Take a leap of faith and enjoy every moment. We only have one life, so we must experience all that we possibly can.

Thank you, Supercamp, for saving me.

Visit http://www.supercamp.com/ to learn more.