Rachel Wylie

My name is Rachel Wylie and I am a writer. I spent 10 years at Mataponi. During my 7 years as a camper, my favorite activities were water skiing, athletics, girly death hockey, Jamboree and themed dinners. My camp claim to fame was when I accidentally stepped on a beehive during wood collecting my Sub Summer. I used to struggle a lot with my self-esteem and was incredible shy due to challenges I encountered growing up with Dyslexia and ADHD. Mataponi provided me with many critical lifelong skills and encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone. Being a counselor was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I got to pass down everything I learned from my role models and led by example with warmth and enthusiasm. I spent those 3 years working at athletics as a soccer coach. During my JC summer, I was filled with a tremendous amount of pride anytime I got to watch my Juniors build up enough courage to try a new activity and stick with it even when they didn’t grasp it immediately. I had a blast getting to be a sing captain for the Inter B’s back in 2015. I remember tearing up with pride watching their dedication from start to finish as they completely nailed their performance and secured first place that year. Going on to be a Senior counselor was a full circle moment for me, as that was the summer I thrived the most as a camper myself. I love the amount of creativity that accompanies your last camper summer. And, it was incredibly rewarding for me as a counselor, rooting my girls on as they tackled every task eagerly and with devotion.

Since Mataponi, I went on to double major in English and Psychology at Franklin and Marshall College. After graduation, I took a screenwriting seminar at NYU. I recently published by 3rd poetry collection (“Not Your Average Fairytale”) which is my second full length book. Not Your Average Fairytale is a unique coming of age story that takes place over an 11-year journey through relationships and friendships in order to eventually discover myself. Utilizing Instagram, I’ve been able to participate in a greater writing community where I curate prompts and uplift other artists’ work. Currently residing in Westchester with my dog, my next aspiration is to break into screenwriting and write for film and television.

I really want to thank Marcy and Dan for the environment they have created at Mataponi. 838 Sebago Rd will always be my second home.

Not Your Average Fairytale can be purchased anywhere books are sold!

Social media: Instagram