Donator Discussions with Mads

Posted on November 24, 2024 by Amelia

Addressed to the Army of Club Penguin

BLIZZARD, Shamrock Bulletin Headquarters – Welcome back to another edition of our Donator Discussions column, this time featuring Mads! We’re giving back to our amazing donators in this column series. It’s time to learn more about Mads for our latest Donator Discussion!

Hey Mads! Welcome to our Donator Discussions column! Could you please tell our readers a bit about yourself—who you are and maybe a fun fact that not many people know?

Hi! I’m Mads, I use they/them pronouns, and I’ve been part of ACP since… forever? Lol. The first mention of me on the site is under Mcw3 (my original Club Penguin username) and it was in August 2010. I rejoined when ACP first reopened in 2019, and I’ve been part of the staff team on and off since then. I’ve now graduated college and have a full time job, so I’m remaining retired (for now!) and just supporting ACP how I can. A fun fact about me is that my sport for the past twelve years has been fencing, and I was able to go to the Junior Olympics and Nationals multiple times in high school! I also have a service dog, his name is Zeus and he’s a very good boy 🙂

Love it! Thank you so much for your generous donation to our server! Can you tell us what inspired you to support ACP in this way and what does ACP mean to you personally?

ACP has been part of my life on and off since 2010, and some of my fondest memories growing up were playing Club Penguin with my cousin (who introduced me to ACP in the first place!) and I want to help younger folks have the same experience I did. The online world is different now from when I started, but ACP is doing a great job creating a safe space for kids to play and have fun, so I am more than happy to give back and help create this safe space. One of my favourite events to sponsor are the fundraiser events, and it’s heartwarming to see the community come together for a good cause. We’ve donated to Palestine and UNICEF so far, and I’d love to make this type of event a monthly event, with maybe more troops matching my donation (or part of it) so we can continue to give back.

That is very heartwarming! It’s so nice to have such meaningful events every once in a while! We’d love to hear your opinion on some of the hot topics in the community right now—how do you feel about the upcoming Double Deck the Halls battle with our allies? Is this your first run, or have you participated in it before?

I think that with my schedule of retiring and un-retiring, I’ve never attended a Double Deck the Halls tournament! Lol. I’m hoping I’ll be able to attend this year with my work and travel schedule. I think it’s awesome that ACP hosts such a fun tournament near the holidays — it’s a nice reprieve from the wars and drama that always seems to happen within the army community. And it’s a great way to build relationships with our allies.

I completely agree! You have been around for a long time, sharing special and memorable moments with countless people in ACP. What would you say is your all-time favourite memory or experience you’ve had here?

My all-time favourite memory with ACP is when I was on HCOM under Calgo — we went HARD with events, posts, and engagement. I was so sick one morning leading an AUSIA event that someone accused me of crying!! Lol. But I think being awarded the Bronze Medal is my proudest moment — I worked my butt off to get the word out about March Madness 2023 (and I think my spreadsheet method is still in use) and even though we lost (and I lost access to my original discord account), I was proud of how much work I put in and it made me only hungrier to keep working towards a tournament win. The Legends Cup win in August 2023 is my close second favourite memory— our team worked hard for that, and we won with the help of each other and the support of our amazing troops.

That’s amazing! You have put in a lot of work for ACP, and your funny and friendly personality has definitely helped you make many friendships and close connections. Who would you say you have bonded with the most during your time in CPA?

Oooh, bonded most with… that’s so tough! There’s been so many people I’ve gotten close with over the years. I would say Hightower, McDonalds, Cat, Kailey, Aurora, and Calgo are who I’m closest with in ACP. Outside of ACP, Sidie and Shalissa have always been there for me, especially when we were recovering from that one army that shall not be named, lol.

Love that! What would you say is the most important real-life lesson you’ve learnt from being part of the army community?

The most important real-life lesson I’ve learned from being part of the army community is working hard towards your goals and not giving up. Every no you get during recruiting or reaching out about events is just a step towards the next yes. I lost my voice from VC leading (and accused of crying!) but I kept going, especially during World War IX. I’ve also learned how to stand up for myself, my identity, and my beliefs, and it’s bled over into my real life — I’m unapologetically queer and non-binary in my personal and professional life, and I got to this comfortable place thanks to coming out originally in ACP and building up the courage to come out in my real life.

That is so inspiring to hear! Persistence and resilience are truly necessary to have in order to grow and find your true self! Thank you so much Mads for joining me on this interview and once again for donating to our server! We wish you the very best for your travels and work, and we hope to continue seeing around in the server 🩷

Thank you Mads for joining me on this interview and thank YOU for reading this edition of the Donators Discussions column. Make sure to read our next release once it’s out!

What do YOU think about the Donator Discussions series? Let us know in the comments below! Who do you think we should interview next?

Amelia

ACP Shamrock Bulletin Reporter & Field General