Maria's Story

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Maria Benitez 

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“Overall, Camp Catanese helped me see the immense potential that exists within me." 

When she arrived at Camp Catanese in the summer of 2022, Maria was not planning to attend her first choice college and had begun the enrollment process at a school that didn't have her major. She is undocumented and didn't believe that ASU was an option financially, even though she'd been accepted to Barrett, The Honors College. 

The Camp Catanese community rallied around Maria to help her find a path to attend ASU.  Today, Maria is a Kinesiology major at ASU, and in the process of completing her first year at Barrett, the honors college fully funded. She is beyond grateful for the supporters who helped make this possible and help set her on her path to become a nurse one day! 

“Since the day I arrived, I found myself entering an atmosphere that I had never felt before. My counselors ran to me and hugged me as if we had already been friends. I remember waking up every day to something new. There was always something impactful planned. Overall, Camp Catanese helped me see the immense potential that  exists within me. My social skills improved, I felt inspired and motivated to push forward into my future, and I knew I had support like no other. To this day, I still carry Camp Catanese with me.” 

Maria attended Camp Catanese' first-ever College Conference in December 2022, gaining the opportunity to reconnect with peers and access resources to support her college journey. She's looking forward to more Camp Cat alumni programs this year! 

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  • Home
  • Campers & Alumni
    • Campers >
      • Monthly Calendar
      • Scholarships
    • Alumni
  • Staff
    • Volunteers >
      • Apply For Summer Camp Staff 2025
      • Camp Position Descriptions
    • Year-Round Staff
  • Donate
  • Memories
    • 2025 Memories
    • 2024 Memories >
      • SUMMER CAMP 2024
      • WINTER CAMP 2024
      • College Conference 2024
    • 2023 Memories >
      • WINTER CAMP 2023
      • SUMMER CAMP 2023
    • 2022 Memories
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  • About Us
    • Blog >
      • Helios Education Foundation Award
      • Martin's Story
      • Eduardo's Story
      • Maria's Story
      • Karla's Story
      • Jose's Story
      • Nathan's Story
      • Tania and Luis Story
    • Legacy Giving
    • Annual Report
    • Contact Us
    • Finances