According to NPR, there are currently 2.2 billion Christians worldwide. Among these people, there are Mormons. Primarily based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, the religion dates back thousands of years and has since evolved and gained a multitude of branches and denominations.

Senior Maggie Draper is a practicing Mormon and holds her beliefs close to her.

“I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,” she said. “Many people know us as ‘Mormons.’ My belief in God, and in His son, Jesus Christ, is everything to me. It’s an enormous part of my identity, and it gives me a purpose to my life [on] earth.”

A common way for people of all religions to express and live out their faith is through camps. Over the summer, Draper attending a few camps that revolved around Mormonism.

“I participated in three different church camps this summer,” she said. “The first was an all-girls camp with participants ages 12-18. We worked on team building, faith-promoting experiences, and teaching and learning survival skills.”

While that camp revolved around outdoor activities, Draper said she attended two other camps as well.

“Another camp is called Youth Conference, and both guys and girls ages 14-18 attend,” she said. “We attend different workshops. We participate in community-based service projects, and we have fun activities and games including a swim party and dance. It’s a three day conference. The final camp is called Especially For Youth, and it is held on various college campuses throughout the U.S. It’s a weeklong camp for guys and girls 14-18. We can choose from a variety of faith-based classes to attend. We stay in the college dorms.”

Draper says the camps she attends this summer benefit her and her faith and allow her to meet people similar to her.

“These camps increase my faith and strengthen my resolve to be a good person and uphold the standards I have chosen.” she said. “I’m looking forward to hanging out with a bunch of fun and like-minded youth.”

As camps like these touch on something close to many, Draper says they also make for a good time.

“It’s a great place to meet people, share ideas and learn new things.” she said. “The people that come really want to be there. You can feel a good spirit and you leave feeling motivated to be your best self.”