Benjamin Carrasco grew up in a tough neighborhood. Violence, drugs, and gangs were the norm.
He describes the home he grew up in as “dysfunctional.” He didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving for years because that’s the day his father walked out on his family.
Ben was bullied and beaten regularly as a kid.
“I grew up in a predominantly Black neighborhood, and I'm Puerto Rican,” says Ben. “The Black kids would beat me up at home and the white kids would beat me up in school. I didn’t discriminate. I hated everybody because I thought everybody hated me.”
But when he was 10, he went to camp at Agassiz Village and everything began to change. He saw white kids, and black kids, and Asian kids, and even kids like him.
In the beginning, there were prejudices to overcome. But within just a few days, everyone was getting along.
“I actually saw the change in people's hearts. It’s hard to be mean to somebody that's asking you if you want to play... trying to include you.”
Ben learned at camp that there were people who were good just for the sake of being good. He wasn’t used to that.
He took that lesson home with him and the hate he had been holding onto began to melt away.
Ben continued going to Agassiz for the next four years as a camper. At 14, he became a summer staff member, serving as a counselor.
He developed lifelong friendships at Agassiz Village. Ben guesses there are about 20 friends in his Agassiz circle of all races and genders.
And for the last 30 years, Benjamin has been celebrating “Friendsgiving” with those dear friends.
Today, Ben is married and has a 19-year-old daughter. In 2024, he celebrated 31 years as a police officer.
“Camp didn't convert people. It brought out the best of people,” says Ben.