Madison Dziuk was awarded the Camp and Retirement Home scholarships in 2017. Similarly, her older sister Taylor was awarded the Camp scholarship in 2014. Madison and Taylor also have their choices for college in common - Texas A&M University.

In March 2015, their parents, Rodney and Karen Dziuk, wrote a letter that ran in the Hermann Sons Life newspaper. Though written three years ago, the impact of Hermann Sons Life on their daughters can continue to be seen today.

"Over the past 10 years, our daughters, Taylor and Madison, have attended Hermann Sons Life Camp as campers, Counselors-in-Training and now as junior counselors. We just wanted to share what a positive impact these experiences have had on them as young girls and as teenagers. It has undeniably prepared them – and us – for their future endeavors.

"Looking back, it was an easy decision to purchase the Hermann Sons Life insurance that would allow our girls the opportunity to attend dance classes. What a truly amazing experience it was to appreciate their abilities as they concentrated on their dance skills while building new friendships. They looked up to the older girls at the lodge and listened attentively about how much they loved summer camp. Although our daughters had no idea what summer camp was all about, they knew they wanted to be there too!

"Soon enough their time would come and camp letters arrived! Each year our daughters and their friends would coordinate a group meeting to discuss what week they would attend camp, how to rank their activities, and what clothes to pack.

"Camp was definitely the social event of the summer! In fact, the week before camp was spent addressing envelopes for family and determining what to wear for the camp dance. Finally, all the girls gathered the day before camp to have their hair braided by a favorite high school girl who was also a former camper.

“For the girls, it was great fun in anticipation of the week ahead. However, as parents, we began to wonder just what we had done by allowing our daughters to travel so far away from home for an entire week.

“That first summer, we somehow managed to endure a quiet house as we awaited that first camp letter to confirm that no one had escaped and that everyone was having a great time! We also discovered that our daughters were learning how to be responsible without mom and dad while enjoying their activities and making new friends.

“At the end of the week, we arrived to find the girls a little taller and a bit more confident with new friends and requests for the next summer! And, all they could talk about is how much they loved the food!

“The rest is history – camp would be an annual event that would take priority over family vacation.

“As time passed and our daughters recognized how much they loved camp, they made the decision to give back to Hermann Sons Life Camp as counselors. In fact, as they reminisce about their experiences, we appreciate how much Hermann Sons Life Camp has been instrumental in building their character and preparing each of us for the journey ahead which now includes college. We are forever thankful to Hermann Sons Life Camp for inspiring our daughters, Taylor and Madison, and providing a strong foundation for their future.”