Marisa Bannon

When I unpacked my bags in Midship in 1994, to start my very first Clearwater session after having met Sunny at a camp fair, I never could have imagined that twenty-two years later, I would be rocking my first baby to sleep with Clearwater songs. To this day, while there are many things in my daily life that I can’t remember unless they are written on a list, I can still remember the words to dozens of camp songs, the sound of the cry of the loons, the taste of the infamous coffee cake, the warmth of Council Fire, and the virtually indescribable feelings of peace, happiness, wonder, adventure, genuine friendship and belonging that I am so incredibly lucky to have found and experienced at Clearwater.

That first summer on the Cape turned into four more summers as a camper, a summer as a leadership, and two summers as a counselor, where I had the privilege of leading the Harbor as well as an Isle Royale trip. Although my pursuit of a legal career then took me away from camp, the bond with my Clearwater family remained. Over the years we reunited whenever we could — in various cities, around the holidays, and at each other’s weddings (of course, these have included jingles!) — and have stayed in touch supporting one another as we have each built our careers and families.

Even though I have two boys, so won’t have a Clearwater daughter of my own, it warms my heart every night when they ask for “the cabin song” or “the one with the little brown shirts and shorts!” They marvel when I tell them about the opportunities I had to sail, waterski, ride horses, attempt archery, dip in the lake, sleep on an island, and canoe the Boundary Waters.

Now that I am busy in Colorado working as a lawyer, juggling work and school schedules with my husband, and shuttling my boys between hockey rinks, I thought that my Clearwater days would only exist in my memories, until I was offered the wonderful opportunity to join the Board. I am honored, excited, and so grateful to now be a part of the Board, and truly thrilled to be re-connected to Clearwater in this capacity.