When you think of a camp counselor, some people think of those who wear Chacos and fishing shirts. Others may think of someone outdoorsy and energetic. Although those are typical characteristics of camp counselors, the experience of being a camp counselor is so much more than that.
Some people ask me why I choose to spend my summers at a camp, not getting paid nearly enough for the hours worked, surviving without air conditioning and a cell phone. Until you have the experience for yourself, I don't believe anyone can truly understand the appeal in being a camp counselor. From spending my summers in the heat, and working with kids 24 hours a day, I've learned so much more than I could ever explain.
The first thing I learned from being a camp counselor is how to be completely selfless. When you're at camp you have to give up the part of yourself that centers around you and only you. Your campers have to come first in every aspect. You become not only a mentor, but also a parent and a friend for the time they are at camp. When it's two in the morning and their stomach hurts and they're homesick, you have to be there for them. When they confide in you things that you would never find out from their camper information cards, you have to listen. As a counselor, you dedicate your summer to your campers. Being selfless is an act that shouldn't end when camp ends.
The second thing I've learned is that some kids are more difficult to love than others. Sure, campers like this might drive you crazy, but maybe they're the kids that need it the most. Maybe they have a problem at home that you don't know about. For some campers, camp is the one time of year when they can forget their life problems and just be a kid. As a counselor, you need to let them know that they are so loved. This lesson learned can be carried out to your life when you go home from camp. Tolerance and loving those who are sometimes difficult will get you very far in life.
Whether your campers are six or 16, you are a role model to them. Camp is the best chance that a counselor will get all year to be a role model to those that really look up to them. You'll find as a counselor that your campers will end up teaching you more than you'll teach them. My campers have not only taught me how to be a better person, they have taught me how to be a better friend, a more selfless individual, and also some pretty great dance moves.
Even though camp counselors are underpaid for all that they do, the experience and life lessons you gain from being a counselor really can't be bought.
