On Childhood and Family

Crystal Clusiau:  Could you tell me a little bit about your childhood?

Sarah DeCamps:  I was born in 1980, in Richmond, Virginia. I grew up in Richmond, and went to the collegiate school, it’s a private school in Richmond.  I have two brothers, one was born 2 years after me, and one was born 6 years after me, and we all went to the same school; grew up in the city of Richmond and ended up moving to the suburbs when I was about 14.  I grew up as an Episcopalian, which is relevant because I work for a church.

CC: What were your relationships like with your family members?

SD: We’re a close family, the majority of my extended family lives in Baltimore, Maryland, where my mom is from, but my dad’s side of family was from Richmond. My cousins are a lot younger than us, so we didn’t have a relationship with them, really, until they were born, and they’re like six and eight now, so… 

CC: Has anybody else in your family been involved with social work? 

SD: Not really (laughs)

CC: No, Just you?

SD: Yeah.

CC: Has growing up with your family values affected the kind of work you’ve chosen to do?

SD: Yeah, it wasn’t overt, but I sought out sort of different types of relationships.  I’ve always had friends all over the place.  But my church played a big role in it, because that’s how I first went to Honduras.

...