We recently had the opportunity to hear from Khalil Payne, one of our Kidz2Leaders program Alumni! He shared about his journey toward becoming a musician, the impact of Kidz2Leaders in his life, and his hopes for the future. We’re excited to share his story with you in his own words…
“My name is Khalil, I’m a sophomore at the University of North Florida. When I was in fourth grade my mom told me I was going to camp, and to pack up my stuff for five days. It was my first time at camp, I didn’t know what to expect, but I completely loved it. I was looking up to these counselors who were probably the age I am now, and I thought they were the coolest people in the world. We went rock climbing, and it was just so fun, I remember it vividly.
I kept coming back to camp every year. And, every year, I’d cry when it was time to leave, because I was bonding with these people, but I knew I’d see them again the next summer. Eventually I moved up to the leadership training camp, and then the Interns4Tomorrow program for two years, and then became a counselor.
When I was in sixth grade, I decided to try orchestra. They had violin, viola, and cello base. I didn’t like violin, my hands felt so scrunched up holding it. Viola was the same. When I got to the cello, I was nervous because it was huge and I had to stretch my whole body out to play the instrument. I had no idea what I was doing, but I felt an instant connection. It was like I could channel my emotions through it.
A lot of people tell me that I’m extremely expressive in how I play. I make it a personal performance every time I get on stage. When I was nine, my biological mom was murdered. It was traumatic for me, and I was sad for a long time. There were so many days when I’d pick up the cello, not to practice technique, but I’d just do what sounded right until I learned to play a whole song by ear. Then I’d put feeling into it. Every time I play, I’m telling my story.
Now that I’m in a college, a lot of the musicians around me are extremely atheist and denounce Christianity. I felt a little further away from God, being so surrounded by negativity. But I found a Christian ministry on campus and started hanging out with them. It made the campus feel smaller. And I’m glad I made the decision to come back here to camp, because I feel a lot closer to God.
I’ve been coming to Camp Hope for a decade now, and I want to come back and serve at camp. Everyone here has a similar story to mine. The thing I keep thinking about is that the way our lives started is kind of rough, but it’s the coolest comeback story. Putting the effort in is valuable—You could literally change the lives of these kids. And then they’ll want to come back and do it for someone else. Ten years from now, the impact could be huge, it reaches even further than Camp Hope.
We are so proud of Khalil, and all he’s overcome and accomplished. And we are grateful to be part of his story!
