Our on-going series featuring Camp Fuller alumni continues with Joe Altieri, aka “Pudge” who grew up in Narragansett just across the pond from Camp Fuller. His time at camp started as an eleven-year-old at Fuller in 1998.  As Joe recalls, his parents were in the middle of an unpleasant divorce and felt it best if Joe attended Camp Fuller that summer as a sort of refuge from home life. They only intended on sending Joe to second session, but on change day, he pleaded with his dad to stay for another session.  His parents agreed and Joe was able to return for fourth session and spend the rest of the summer on Point Judith Pond.  It was that summer that Joe’s love affair with Camp Fuller began.

Admittedly, he does not remember much about that first summer other than receiving the nickname “Pudge” and being goaded to standing up on his bench in the mess hall and leading the entire camp in “Give me a P, give me a U”, etc.  The name stuck and nobody at Camp Fuller ever called him Joe again until much later.   Joe spent much of his time as a camper sailing and learning as much as he could about wind and boats.  In his later years as a staff member, Joe also ran a program called “Fun and Games” which he took quite seriously.

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After graduating high school, Joe attended the University of Miami where he studied political science,  business and secondary education.  He stayed on at the university and worked as an admissions counselor there.  He then moved to New York City, worked as an admissions counselor at SUNY and ended up rooming with an old camp friend, Chris Kleinknecht.  Joe applied and was later accepted to Georgetown Law School and moved to Washington, DC in 2014 to pursue his JD.  During his years at Georgetown, Joe worked for the US Attorney’s Office in DC, the Federal Public Defender in the Northern District of Virginia, and interned with a judge in DC Superior Court.  He eventually worked his second summer at a litigation boutique firm named Hollingsworth LLP where he is currently employed and was elected to Partner this past year.  His years at Fuller gave him the requisite tools to not only pursue his degree but to become a successful litigator.

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When reflecting on his formative years, Joe credits his character development, personality and sense of self as directly shaped by his years at Camp Fuller. Being at Fuller gave him opportunities to build confidence, both physically and emotionally.  Camp pushed him out of his comfort zone as he performed at Council fires and lead teams on weekend activities. Camp Fuller provided the perfect environment to foster growth and creativity while always being part of a loving, supportive and caring community.  As a Fuller staff member, he learned how to problem solve, collaborate with a diverse group of people and how to effectively teach; all skills that have been invaluable to his career as an attorney.

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Joe also credits many people who had an impact on him while he was at Fuller which included his counselors, mentors and friends.  He also credits and thanks his dad for making the decision to send him off to camp during that first summer in 1998.  He looks back at countless conversations he had with his dad which usually started off with “at camp we…” and realizes now how tolerant his dad was while Joe was not away at camp.  Joe continues to reflect back on the Fuller community who instilled in him a sense of confidence and self-worth when he was in the early stages of maturing.  In his eleven years at Fuller, Joe eventually joined the ranks of the more senior staff and remembers as a junior counselor being taught the importance of  creating the magic for the campers.  “I’ve never laughed harder, cared deeper, and still hold these as some of the most important relationships in my life.”

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Camp memories often become ingrained in all of us and Joe concurs on that thought. Hosting Sun Prod, his first kiss and his initiation into The Council stand out in a big way.  But to him the mundane memories are just as important, such as playing pitch during siestas, sitting around the OD fire at night and talking about nothing and everything while sunbathing on the windsurfing dock during siesta.  These “only at camp” moments when you were undistracted by the outside world; when your mind could wander and when you were unrestricted in building strong relationships with so many different and amazing people are the types of memories that Joe holds close to this day.

Joe remains in touch with many of his Fuller friends, many of whom have evolved into life-long relationships.  He feels extremely fortunate that so many of his friends from camp prioritize the importance of maintaining friendships across distance and time.  Longing for the days when they were all in that special and magical place together, Joe is beyond grateful that Fuller was just the start for some many wonderful relationships.

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Thanks, Joe for sharing your years at Camp Fuller and the incredible impact those times had on you.  Don’t be a stranger and please come back to visit.

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