Anna is a dedicated early childhood educator and college student who now calls Arkansas home. Originally from Madagascar, Anna was adopted at age two and raised in a small town on the Washington-Idaho border.

For years, Anna struggled to find stability while navigating the aftermath of an abusive relationship.

“I was in and out of an abusive relationship,” she shared. “I was trying to find a place that felt safe.”

After moving back in with her parents, she continued to battle uncertainty and fear. “In January 2022, I was living in a safe house because of that past relationship,” she said. “I remember praying, ‘God, if you want me to move, you’ll have to make it happen. I have no money. I don’t know what I’m gonna do.’”

That prayer led her to start looking for summer camp jobs across the country.

“I was just looking anywhere in America. Honestly, it was more of a desperate attempt to get out of town,” she said.

That’s when she found Ferncliff.

“I had my interview with Jocelyn, and after that, I packed up all my things, sold my car, and just said, ‘whatever happens, happens.’ Everything I owned fit into two suitcases. I flew out here expecting to stay just for the summer.”

But when summer ended, a new anxiety crept in.

“I was really nervous to go back home. There just wasn’t much there for me. I didn’t have the money to figure out what was next.”

That’s when Ruth, Ferncliff’s Assistant Camp Director, stepped in.

“She asked me, ‘What can I do to help?’ I didn’t know what to say. But she said, ‘Okay, let me talk to Rachel and Emily,’ and together they figured out a plan for me to stay.”

Anna began helping at Ferncliff’s Nature Preschool, led by Director Rachel Parker.

“I did that—and I loved it,” she said.

Rachel encouraged Anna to pursue her passion and helped her enroll in the TEACH program at University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College. Today, Anna works full-time at the Nature Preschool while earning her degree in Early Childhood Education.

Over time, Ferncliff became more than just a job. It became a turning point.

“I felt so much peace. I wasn’t nervous. I was given time to figure things out.”

She remembers calling her dad during that first year and saying, “Dad, I think something’s wrong with me. Maybe it’s medical—I’m so tired and I keep sleeping.”

He responded gently: “Anna, you’ve been in survival mode for over five years. Now that you finally feel safe, your body is letting itself rest.”

“Ferncliff has been a safe place for me—mentally, spiritually, and physically,” Anna said. “I feel like myself again. Before the relationship, I was goofy and silly. I was me. And afterward, I told my mom, ‘I don’t know who I am anymore.’ But now I’m starting to feel brave again. I feel like I can be me.”

Working with children has become a powerful part of her healing.

“I get to be a safe place for them,” she said. “Safety has been such a big theme in my life. It means so much to know I can help kids work through their emotions and feel secure.”

She smiled and added, “Honestly, working here with these preschoolers—I think I actually love working with kids. I can see myself doing this for a long time.”

When asked how she would describe Ferncliff to someone else, Anna said:

“It’s a place to go if you’re looking for people who show real compassion and care deeply about every single person. It’s beautiful—not just the outdoors, but the way it makes you feel grounded, cared for, and loved. Like, really knowing that you are loved.”

She remembers something Jocelyn told her early on:

“Ferncliff can be whatever you need it to be. If you need it to be fun and crazy and full of excitement, it can be that. If you need quiet and peace, it can be that too.”

For Anna, Ferncliff became exactly that—a place of peace, safety, and restoration.

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Stories like Anna’s are possible because Ferncliff exists—and Ferncliff exists because of people like you.

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