As Camas grows at a rapid pace, many people move here from towns big and small from across the country. Along with those people come students who started their first year at Camas High School.

People move to Camas for a variety of reasons, from wanting to find a better place to live to loving the scenery. “ We decided to move here by my family meeting and deciding that we wanted to be near mountains and the ocean,“ said Brienna Watson, who moved to Camas from Texas during the summer.

One of the first challenges for people moving to a new town is not having any friends. They move from a place where they grew up among friends to having no friends at all. “It felt bittersweet to move here, on one hand I was leaving my friends. But I was also excited to move to a new place,” Watson said.

Another challenge for teens who move here is employment They had to leave everything behind when they moved so they have no way to get money. They have to compete with others to get a new job here in a town that they do not know very well.

Seniors who move to Camas have a whole new problem they may not have had before: senior projects. Most other states do not have a senior project or their senior project was completely different. They do not have many people they can talk to to get help, nor do they have connections. “My old school didn’t have a senior project, but I like it. It provides a challenge and has helped me learn how to do new things like a resume.” Senior Emily Kellens said.

The climate and geography is also a big change for people. In the south, it tends to be hot, dry, flat, and sunny all of the time. Some people aren’t used to being near mountains or being near the Pacific Ocean. “My old town was a lot smaller and flatter than Camas.” Watson said.

However, people are adapting to the new environment. They are making friends, new hobbies, and adapting to their new home. “ I love how beautiful it is here, and I love how nice the people are,“ Watson said.

The best advice for newcomers comes down to this: meet new people and make new friends, but most importantly, get out of the house and be out in Camas. Joining a club, sport, or organization allows newcomers to connect more to the community and do things they enjoy.