As I prepare to close this chapter at Lakeshore, I find myself reflecting on the privilege of these past seven years — seven years of laughter, growth, community, and sacred moments that I will carry with me always. Serving as your camp photographer and Director of Development and Communications has been more than a job; it has been a calling, a gift, and an honor.
I’ve watched children climb into canoes with wide eyes, witness first friendships form around campfires, and captured the quiet moments when a camper pauses to take in a sunset or a retreat guest finds a place of peace. These moments — the messy, joyful, holy, and even challenging ones — are why camp matters. They’re why families invest in this experience, why donors support a ministry that shapes lives, and why volunteers give freely of their time and hearts.
To the camper families who entrusted me with capturing your children’s summers, thank you. Thank you for letting me tell their stories, for allowing me to freeze these fleeting moments in time so they can be remembered forever. Watching your children grow, try new things, and form lifelong friendships has been one of my greatest joys.
To the donors who believe in this ministry, thank you. Thank you for showing me what it means to invest in experiences that transform lives. Your generosity allows campers to explore, learn, and encounter God’s love in ways that stay with them long after they leave our shores. Being able to share your stories and your hearts through photography and communications has been one of the most meaningful parts of my work.
To the guests and retreat groups who welcomed me into your time of reflection and renewal, thank you. Helping create spaces of peace, beauty, and care has reminded me over and over why hospitality is at the heart of everything Lakeshore does.
And to the volunteers, coworkers, and friends who have been my partners in this work, thank you. Your dedication, joy, and generosity of spirit have made every photo, every story, every project possible. You’ve shown me what it means to serve wholeheartedly, and it has inspired me in ways I will carry with me forever.
Lakeshore is more than a place — it’s a community, a ministry, a home. I feel incredibly blessed to have been a part of it, to have helped capture its stories, and to have shared its mission with the world. Every camper smile, every volunteer effort, every donor story, every guest reflection — all of it has shaped who I am today.
Leaving is bittersweet, but I know that the roots planted here will continue to grow. Lakeshore will always be a part of me, and I hope, in some small way, I have helped it grow in the hearts of others as well.
With deepest gratitude,
Katlyn
Camp Photographer & Director of Development and Communications