Catherine Wendlandt, a freelance writer in Texas who has written stories for Chron, attended Camp Mystic as a camper from 2004 to '13, then served as a counselor from 2014 to '16. Wendlandt shared this tribute to camp counselors, some of whom lost their lives in catastrophic Guadalupe River flooding on July 4.

As the search for five missing Camp Mystic campers and one counselor continues, the summer camp community in Texas and across the country is offering support for a place that has become special to thousands of girls over the years.