Camp Wapsie’s new Summer Camp Director Drew Demery began working with YMCA in January of this year. He has been attending and working at camps since childhood. “What draws me to camping is the possibility for personal growth within each camper and staff,” Drew says.
Drew Demery is a new face to the Wapsie family, however, he’s a veteran of summer camping in Iowa. Born in Boone, Drew attended a number of camps as a child and signed up to be a camp counselor and lifeguard the first season he was eligible at the Iowa 4-H Camping Center.
After seven years at the 4-H Camp and obtaining a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa, Drew went West to be a program director for the Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles. He then worked for Avid4 Adventure in Bailey, Colorado for two years. In 2016 Drew began his YMCA camping career with Camp Foster YMCA on East Lake Okoboji serving as the Day Camp Director.
“When I discovered camp as a staff member, I found a place I could be accepted for who I was and who I wanted to become. I found a home that was encouraging, adventurous, prized emotional connections and spontaneity…summer camp provided the setting for me to be the best version of myself. Now as a director, my goal is to support others everyday as they work towards the best version of themselves,” Drew said.