Counselor’s tough start gave her a tender heart

When Dawn Evans was 4, she suffered a traumatic epileptic seizure that resulted in aphasia, an impediment that prevented her from communicating.

Though she was a native English speaker, Dawn had to take ESL classes to help her articulate her thoughts. She got teased at school.

“I was really devastated by the incident, by the effect of it,” said Evans, now 21.

Her mom took her to a child psychologist, who recommended that Dawn go to summer camp through a scholarship. At age 7, she went to Camp Max Straus in Glendale, run by the Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles.

Fourteen years later, Evans, now a college student, still goes to camp. She was a camper through her teens, became a counselor in training and will return this summer for her third year as a full-time staff counselor.

She credits her ESL teacher and psychologist with helping her to overcome aphasia but says that summer camp changed her life.

“I love who I became because of camp,” Evans said. “I just have a bigger, greater heart for unfortunate people who have disadvantages in their lives.”

Evans, raised in a single-parent, low-income household, now helps underprivileged children -- campers like she once was -- to forget about their difficult home lives for a while.

“She is a great leader,” said camp manager Dinah Weldon, who has known Evans for more than a decade. Weldon says Evans has a unique ability to nurture campers.

“She allows them to be kids and makes it so that they have someone to look up to who is cool and hip -- and yet is kind and caring and service-oriented,” Weldon said. “For the children to have a role model like that, it’s such a powerful influence on them.”

Evans’ small purple bedroom in her mother’s West Hollywood apartment is plastered with photos, letters and drawings from campers. One handwritten note reads, “I love you.... You were a rental mom.”

Evans plans to get her master’s degree in child psychology after she completes her senior year at San Diego State University next spring.

“I just have a love for kids that are in need of help because I know how that feels to be in need of support and love,” Evans said. And she has seen firsthand the impact a caring adult can have on a troubled child.

“They really deserve it,” Evans said of the campers. “I just wish I could have camp run all year long.”

About 10,000 underprivileged children will be able to go to camp this summer thanks to $1.6 million raised last year.

The annual fundraising campaign is part of the Los Angeles Times Family Fund, a fund of the McCormick Tribune Foundation, which this year will match the first $1.1 million in contributions at 50 cents on the dollar.

Donations are tax-deductible. For more information, call (213) 237-5771. To make a credit card donation, visit latimes.com/summercamp. To send checks, use the attached coupon. Do not send cash. Unless otherwise requested, gifts of $50 or more will be acknowledged in The Times.