Staff Comments

Here’s what some of our past staff and guests have said about their A Bar A staff experience:

“I’ve gained so much from this summer that will doubtless help me in the future. From lessons learned in Monday morning staff meetings to serving guests and watching those around me work, I’ve gained valuable skills. The spirit of A Bar A is one of community that encourages generosity of self, and I’ve made some amazing friends along the way.” E.W. (staff member)

“Had we not seen the A Bar A in person, we would never have known of the pure beauty and goodness that surrounds our daughter. You have been the ideal role models and mentors for these young people, having chosen the best of the best to spend a summer made of good memories and future hopes.” P.M. (a staff parent who visited)

“I really wanted to thank you for such a wonderful summer. In fact, I wanted to thank you for the best summer of my life to date. I love this place and can’t imagine this being the last time I lay eyes on it.” D.S. (staff member)

“[After working] at the A Bar A, I have more confidence, I believe in myself more. I have found that I am more helpful to my friends and to people I don’t know. I know now that I am good at helping other people and I enjoy it. It seems so simple to me now, if people work together the job gets done faster and easier.” W.B. (staff member)

“Thank you so much for providing a place for me to spend a beautiful summer. I appreciate everything you teach us, encourage us to do, and let us discover on our own here. Thank you for the opportunity for me to grow personally and to enjoy the beautiful place of Wyoming. I thoroughly enjoyed my summer.” K.R. (staff member)

“Thanks for a most enjoyable summer. Never have I felt more alive.” K.G. (staff member)

“I wanted to thank you for having Bill [another former staff member] and me back to visit for a couple of days at the ranch. While driving into the ranch we were aware that nostalgia might be overwhelming, and it was. The pure beauty of the ranch and the time we spent with friends along the North Platte invoked feelings we had not had since leaving Wyoming last October. The enduring sacredness of the ranch, the people, the memories will always be vivid in my mind. It is difficult to give an encompassing description of the “Ranch Experience” to my friends here in San Francisco, but it is clear to me. I returned home after each summer, and again this week with such a healthy introspective of my life. Once again, I say thank you, and how proud I am to be part of something so special”. N.H. (staff member)

“Thanks so much for the opportunity to work at the A Bar A last summer. I hope I maintain those friends and memories and skills that were a part of my experience—an experience that has, obviously, changed my life. I miss the shooting stars, and the horses, and the clean air. But as much as I miss it, I find that I appreciate things at home even more. Somehow, the sunsets in South Carolina have become more beautiful since I returned, even though they don’t compare to the daily phenomena I experienced in Wyoming.” (staff member)

“Thanks for everything this summer. I am off now on a new adventure, but I have to thank you for the summer at A Bar A. If it were not for that wonderful experience, I would never be off on any of these new adventures. The past four or five months of my life have been absolutely amazing, and as I think about them I realize that many of the changes for the good have come because of the people, things, and thoughts I was exposed to at the A Bar A. I’m in Boston now but the ranch is never far from my thoughts. Thanks.” (staff member)

“I want to thank you for everything you have given me over the past two summers. Working at the ranch proved to be a very rewarding and fulfilling experience. I learned so much about people, taking risks, challenging myself, and appreciating time, personal space, and nature…the list goes on and on. I feel I have grown a great deal under your guidance and encouragement. The people I have met during my two summers at the A Bar A hold a very special place in my heart. To share such a unique experience together creates a strong bond between us. Thank you for believing in me.” N.C. (staff member)

“…the friendships I have made will never be forgotten and the times I spent with those friends will never leave me…It’s all about what you put into the experience and I felt as though I grew a lot as a person. Thanks for the rewards and benefits I gained at the A Bar A. They will never be forgotten. Life is like a book. There are changes all the time and each change represents a chapter. I like to think that this chapter will be one of my favorites.” J.S. (two year staff member whose sister also was a two year staff member)

“I can not thank you enough for the past four months. I can not begin to explain how much I’ve learned…it has been magical and inspiring.” S.B. (first year staff member who came many years as a guest)

“Things at the ranch are still going great. We work long hours, but our free time is amazing. Since we’re already here there is no commute and as soon as we’re off work we’re free to do whatever. I’ve been riding about four times a week and I either hike or walk every day. I’m having one of the best summers of my life. If you can believe it, it’s even better being on staff than being a guest. I get to be here all summer long. This place has always been special to me. It is so beautiful—the mountains and the air and the wide openness of everything. I feel so free and away from everything—no stress, no hype, just peace.” A.K. (from a letter home from a first year staff member who started coming as a guest as a small child)

“I found at the Ranch more than I could have ever expected. I was so nervous before I actually got to the Ranch, but the minute that I arrived, I felt completely at home. [Our team leader] made us want to work hard for her and taught us the importance of working together as a team. We learned so much here this summer, not only about the job, but about life and love as well. Thanks again for a wonderful experience and a great summer.” A.D. (staff member)

“How do you find such outstanding and interesting young people? They all seem so happy and interested in making the guests’ experience the best possible.” (from many guests)