Category: Uncategorized

The Sounds of Summer

by Beth Dolinar, contributing writer The electric bill for June was bad—bad enough to cause me to turn off the air conditioning. Many of us have been sweating through the hottest summer on record. Just keeping the AC at a …

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2024 Teen Ambassadors in their own words

Our 2024 Teen Ambassadors shared their favorite moments and reflections from their I Want to be an Ambassador experiences, highlighting the camp’s impact on their lives. From engaging with diplomats and business leaders to developing essential skills in communication and …

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CORN

by Margot Callahan, Contributing Writer “Uh, yeah, Margot, it’s Jake, we’re out of corn.” Jake, when he calls me, always begins by saying, “Uh, yeah, Margot, it’s Jake,” even though he knows his number comes up on my phone as …

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Empty Nest

by Dana Wineland O’Rouke, contributing writer “Honey, wake up and come to bed.” My husband Tim whispered as he tapped my shoulder. “I’m waiting up for Danny,” I mumbled, as I repositioned myself on the couch.  “He’s not home yet.” …

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Luminary Doug Heilman makes his culinary debut on PBS

Exciting news from the Luminari community! Our friend and culinary genius, Doug Heilman, is set to showcase his cooking prowess on the national stage. A self-described foodie, Doug grew up on his family’s beef farm where food and the art …

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Broken Pieces

by Dana Wineland O’Rouke, contributing writer Anticipation caused me to hold my breath every time my grandfather slid the big wooden box that he handcrafted from under the living room sofa.  To the little girl me, it was a treasure …

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TikTok — The pros, the cons, and should it be banned?

by Debbie Casini Klein, Director, I Want to be an Ambassador! camp The United States is the country with the most monthly active TikTok users –more than 100 million, with teenagers making up the largest group.  It has more Gen …

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Not that clever

by Margot Callahan, Contributing Writer We were quite proud of ourselves for creating a cool 9th birthday party for our son. It was hot in mid August, and families were gearing up for back-to-school. We called the parents and said …

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Fresh air for the eyes

by Beth Dolinar, contributing writer My home sits atop a hill I’ve come to call Mt. Crumpit, a nod to the mountain home upon which the Grinch snarled and planned his Christmas Eve plunder down below. While I’m not nearly that …

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Ambassador Alum Makes Music Around the World

by Beth Dolinar, contributing writer We are always happy to catch up with alumni of our Luminari camps, to learn what they’ve been up to.  Meet Max Rosen, a singer-songwriter with a budding career.  He’s an alumnus of the 2017 …

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