Editor's Note: For the 2025 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits held in Atlanta, Georgia, your NRA hosted our annual Youth Day. This year, the Grand Prize was a week-long trip to Gunsite Academy! Today, we have a first-person account from the winner, a young lady named Isabella. We hope you'll join us all next year at the 2026 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits for Youth Day ... you never know what you might win!
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I am so glad I won the defensive pistol class for Gunsite. I normally don’t win anything in raffles, so I was excited and shocked when I won the camp at the NRA youth event in Atlanta.
I had very little shooting experience before Gunsite. I had only occasionally shot guns when I had the chance. I only shot a pistol once at our local shooting range before attending the camp, using a Ruger RXM 9mm with iron sights.
We arrived at Gunsite the day before camp began, to go to a barbeque for the students and their families. The barbeque was to give parents information about the camp and help students get to know each other. At the BBQ, we all got partnered with a "battle buddy." Your battle buddy is with you all the time; they help you out when you need it, and you do fun stuff with them all week. Having a battle buddy is a great way to make friends, have a helping hand, and have a great time.
The instructors at Gunsite were amazing. They were so helpful, giving us great tips and lessons to improve our shooting. I had a hard time with chamber checks, because I had a hard time pulling back the slide, but the instructors were there to help me and encourage me. Our range master, Gary, always made sure safety was put first, while also having a great sense of humor and making the week really fun. Ashley, Schylar, and Brian were our other instructors, and they were very fun and helpful.
During class we focused on learning basic defensive shooting skills. We learned how to take apart our pistols, clean them, and properly hold them. We also went through different simulators--both indoor and outdoor. The indoor simulator was called the "funhouse," where we had to clear a house. Our instructors made sure we all understood each skill before moving on.
We did a night shoot, which I really enjoyed. It was cool to learn different ways to hold a flashlight. We also did competitions and shoot-offs during camp. We did a steel target shooting competition that I came in third place for, (and the top two guys both had optics). On the last day of camp we also did another shoot-off, where I got third place in a four-way tie.
I really improved my shooting skills while at Gunsite. I came the first day with hardly any knowledge on guns, and now I feel very confident with shooting. Our range master, Gary, told me I was the most improved student, and I think he’s right. On the last day I didn’t want to leave. I had such a great time, and it was so much fun. I made so many friends at the camp, including the instructors, and I am grateful I had the opportunity to take part in this amazing camp.
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