Alyvia's #MyCameronCounty Story

I am very involved with not only my school, but also my community.I have been living in the small town of Emporium for all of my life. Both of my parents were born and raised here, and we even live in the house my mom grew up in. I am 18 years old and am currently a senior at Cameron County High School. I participate in many school activities, some include: basketball, softball, volleyball, golf, student council, and honor societies. 

I am currently a student member of the Cameron County Recreation Board and every Christmas I ring the bell for the Salvation Army. Being involved in many things doesn’t leave much free time, but I make the most of what I’m given. In my free time, I like to spend time with family and friends, but when it comes to finding things to do around here, it becomes a little difficult.

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Although there’s not much to do here, there are some things that I love about Cameron County. One thing I like is that we have such small community that the number of people you know is larger than the number of people you don’t know. Knowing a large amount of people makes me feel safe because the chances of me knowing someone no matter where I am is high, and there will always be someone around who I know can help. Another thing that I like about Cameron County is all of the festivals and parades we have. Being able to go down town during a holiday and walking through the vendors is one of my favorite things to do. Our town is very supportive when it comes to local businesses and it’s neat to see all of the things and food people make to sell.

Upon graduation, I plan to attend college majoring in Occupational Therapy. I haven’t committed to a specific college yet, but I have a few in mind. Going into Occupational Therapy, I know that it is going to be tough to find a job here in Cameron County. After college, I am willing to go wherever there are opportunities, but my goal is go somewhere in the south. I would like to live somewhere where you don’t have to drive 20 minutes to go grocery shopping, or an hour to go watch a movie, I want to be somewhere that has everything I need and want right there. ​

From when I was younger to now, one of the hardest things was to find something to do. My friends and I love spending time and having fun with each other. In the summer it’s easier to come up with things to do. Our typical activities are fires, pool parties, and sometime movie nights. After awhile those things start to get boring. We then found some spots down county where you can rope swing and jump off rocks into the water. Tubing, kayaking, and Jeep rides are other things that we like to do, especially on a hot day. In the winter, we usually stay inside, watch Christmas movies, and bake cookies. There’s not much we do can do during the winter here, but sometimes we bring out our inner child and go sled riding. With there being lots of hills here, it's pretty easy to find somewhere to go.

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One thing I would miss in Cameron County would definitely have to be Sheetz.

​The most important thing about Cameron County, that never changes, is how everyone in the community supports each other.

...There have been many families who have gone through tough times and our community always does something to help out. One of the major things is every Christmas there is a benefit dance and all proceeds go to a family, or families in need. The support from others when it’s needed the most really makes me happy to be a part of this town.

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