I am going into my junior year of college, studying Neuroscience at Michigan State University. When a friend or a family member asks what I'm doing this summer, and I respond "camp counselor", I feel as if I'm being judged, that this person must be thinking you're working at a sleepaway camp but plan on going to med school? That's confusing...
It breaks my heart that counselors aren't praised for the work that they do. My parents first toured the beautiful Camp Weequahic in 1999 and I'm more than happy to say in 2018 that it's still a huge part of my life.
There are so many defining moments in life and most of these moments, if you take a second to think, happen during our youngest years. Communions, bar/batmitzvahs, graduating high school, going off to college, getting married, having a baby, etc. I can thank camp and those I shared my summers with, for my defining moments.
My experience at camp allowed me to confidently step off a plane, hours away from home, to study what I love. Of course I must thank my parents for saying "sayonara kiddo! Have a great summer, see you in 8 weeks!"
Last year was my first summer as a counselor, I was so nervous for the change. What will it be like going from a little kid running around in this environment to a counselor responsible for those rugrats? I was a WILD CHILD camper. Causing trouble, loud and annoying, yet cute on a good day. It's safe to say that counselors were warned about me.
Everyone's different, campers and counselors included. There's wild child campers like I once was, those that alienate themselves and crave that extra attention and those who include everyone and glue the bunk together. As for counselors, many people believe that it takes an extroverted person to be a great camp counselor. WRONG! I couldn't imagine camp without the variety of counselors and having both extroverted and introverted individuals. During counselor orientation, we were instructed to run to the left if you're extroverted, to the right if you're introverted and to the middle if you're both. Counselors were afraid and avoided the introverted side, but little do they know there is no right or wrong answer! You, as a unique counselor, are the reason those different types of campers return each year.
A defining moment of mine at camp: there was a confused camper on the lunch line, one of the head staff came up to me and said why don't you help her? I responded, "because she's not my camper." As Chandler Bing would say, "COULD I BE ANY MORE WRONG?!'
Everyone there is your camper. I don't care if it's not one of your eleven children sleeping in your bunk at night, you are responsible for them. One year later, I am preparing to return as a division head, leading eighth grade girls while guiding counselor's within the division to be their best selves.
This past year I flunked an exam that I spent days studying for and it was my breaking point. The anxiety hit hard and I was ready to run to my advisors office and change my major, my whole life plan. Conveniently, that day I found a letter a camp friend once gave me. It read, "you are going to do amazing things in life because whenever you put your mind to something, you always do it 100%, and care so deeply." I couldn't think of better words to get me through the rest of college, and the many tests I'll probably flunk in the future, to help me get back up. This letter sits in my backpack, ready to be taken out as a reminder when needed. I grew up with this loving person and her words will continue to push me. "COULD CAMP FRIENDS BE ANY MORE AWESOME?!"
You are progressing the entire summer, more so than I would be sitting behind a desk in the city making coffee for others, sticking it out for the title on my resume. Independence, leadership, flexibility, compassion, consistency, working with others and problem solving. These are life skills and relationships gained as a counselor that will drive me far beyond my time spent at camp.
