Turning heartache into hope: UW-Green Bay’s Taylor Gulbrand finds healing, hope and her future, at Camp Lloyd

Taylor Gulbrand

Taylor Gulbrand (Psychology and Human Development) experienced the heartbreak of losing her mother while a freshman at UW-Green Bay. But that loss wasn’t lost. When Gulbrand heard about Camp Lloyd, a grief camp for kids unique to UW-Green Bay, she asked where she could sign up. Last summer she served as a head buddy — one of the most impactful and healing experiences of her life.

“During my first year of camp as a buddy, I knew that I wanted to work with kids,” she said. “I loved seeing how much the kids could grow just in one week. It was so unbelievable rewarding to work with children and help them recognize their grief, but also to remind them that they can have fun and be kids!”

This summer, the Luxemburg, Wis. native is a “student head buddy,” planning Camp Lloyd and training the student buddies to get ready for camp.

Gulbrand is enrolled in UW-Oshkosh’s Master’s Program for Professional Counseling (School Counseling Emphasis), with hopes of becoming a school counselor for elementary school-aged children.

“I know that I would not have gotten this experience elsewhere,” she said. “Getting involved in Camp Lloyd my sophomore year opened up the door for so many more opportunities. UW-Green Bay has helped me grow in a multitude of ways and I and so grateful to have attended. I will always have the Camp Lloyd spirit deep in my heart, even after my time as a buddy is over.”