Power of a Network: What It Means to Be in the TVRC Family

In the two years since I joined the TVRC community, one of my favorite questions to ask community members has remained the same: “How did you first get connected with TVRC?” Every person has a unique introduction story. However, no matter who I am speaking with—a new family dropping off their camper for the first time, a staff member embarking on their inaugural summer, or an alum who attended camp in the 1960s—a common thread always emerges. Almost everyone learned about TVRC through someone who was already part of the community.

Those stories take many forms: a conversation struck up on an airplane, a recommendation from a co-worker or college friend, or a connection passed down through generations of family or neighborhood friends. In each instance, a member of the TVRC community recognized the impact this place can have and chose to pay that experience forward. That simple act—sharing TVRC with someone else—is the foundation of our network and the reason it continues to grow.

My own TVRC story begins in much the same way. In the fall of 2023, while catching up with a close friend and co-worker, who is a TVRC Alum, former staff member, and current parent, about a recent trip to Jackson, she said, “I know a place that might have a job opportunity opening—and if you wanted to explore it, I think you would really love the organization.” Within weeks, I was connected with Jim and Cora and was doing everything in my power to join the team. By May I was packing up my truck in Maine and plugging Teton Valley Ranch Camp into GoogleMaps. I will forever be grateful for the TVRC Network that I now call home.

What I didn’t expect came next. Once it was officially announced that I was joining TVRC, connections began surfacing everywhere. My fourth-grade science teacher had spent ten summers on staff. My cousin’s husband had been a Rough Rider in the late ’90s. Family friends from Akron, Ohio shared stories of children—and now grandchildren—who had grown up at camp. In that moment, I realized just how far-reaching and deeply rooted the TVRC community truly is.

Some rough math suggests that over our 87—soon to be 88—year history, more than 15,000 campers and staff members have passed through TVRC. But our network extends well beyond those numbers. It includes parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends—people who may never have slept in a cabin or saddled a horse, yet understand the life-shaping impact of a TVRC experience and proudly carry that connection forward.

One camper recently shared that they wear their TVRC sweatshirt every time they fly because someone inevitably recognizes it in the airport and stops to talk about camp. That small story speaks volumes. When someone shares that they are part of the TVRC community, there are certain things others instinctively understand—values, experiences, and a shared sense of belonging that transcends geography and time.

What People Often Deduce When You Share a Connection to TVRC

Being part of the TVRC family quietly communicates something about who you are. It suggests that you value challenge and growth, that you understand the importance of community, and that you have spent time learning confidence, resilience, and leadership during summers in the Tetons. It hints at an ability to do hard things, lifelong friendships, and a respect for the outdoors. In many ways, saying “TVRC” becomes a buzzword for a set of experiences and values that define your character.

Ways to Strengthen Our Community Reach

The strength of the TVRC network comes from the people within it. Here are a few simple but powerful ways to continue growing and strengthening our community:

• Refer friends and family. Personal recommendations are how most people find TVRC. Sharing your experience—whether with a young family, a prospective staff member, or a friend curious about camp—can open the door for someone else’s life-changing journey.

• Follow along on social media. Staying connected through Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook helps amplify TVRC’s story and ensures our community remains visible, vibrant, and engaged across generations. If you have served on staff at TVRC, regardless of when it was last year or 30 years ago, we encourage you to add the TVRC experience to your LinkedIn resume.

• Keep your information up to date. Updated contact information allows us to stay connected, share stories, celebrate milestones, and invite you into opportunities to engage with TVRC in meaningful ways, especially during Roundup tours!

• Share your stories with us. Your reunions, memories, reflections, and milestones help tell the larger story of TVRC. Each story reinforces why this place matters and reminds us that camp doesn’t end when summer does. Email me at with any updates you wish to share.

The TVRC network is one of the many things that makes TVRC more than just a summer camp. It is a lifelong community—one that shapes perspectives, opens doors, and creates connections that span decades. Being part of the TVRC family means belonging to something bigger than yourself, something rooted in shared experiences and carried forward through relationships. It is a network built on trust, tradition, and the belief that what happens at TVRC truly lasts a lifetime.