Y Talk: Summer Camp Staff Are Awesome by Brittany Rose

It’s my turn to write the Wednesday Y Blog. Of course I will stay with what I know, the one and only—Summer Camp. It’s where my heart is.

This time I won’t be writing about the fun new program areas or the gross food challenges I’ve got planned. This time I’ll be focusing on the other huge part that goes makes camp special—the staff. This summer will by far be the biggest transition and professional challenge for me, which makes me even more excited. We will have new faces, as well as other veterans taking on new roles at our summer camps. And though we are happy to have others continue where we left off, I wanted to shine a light on those who had committed their time, sweat, laughs, tears and smiles to camp the past couple years.

I asked Sarah how her experience at Camp will impact her next adventure as an adult.

From Camp to Classroom

My name is Sarah and I have worked at Camp Thompson for the past four summers. I am in my last semester at Penn State University studying to get my degree in early childhood education. Being a camp counselor has helped me more than I could have thought in my journey to become a teacher.

The most obvious way camp has helped me in my journey is working with children ages 7-15, 24/7. Through the whole summer I was introduced to some amazing groups of children for whom I was responsible over different lengths of time; some only a couple of hours, others for two weeks. In my last year with camp I spent more time interacting with parents as well. Talking to an adult in a professional and poised way is a lot different than talking to a camper about who is going to win color wars. I thought of myself as being an outgoing person, and camp helped me gain confidence when interacting with both campers and parents about more serious issues.

The second way camp has prepared me for the real world was having to be prepared for anything and try my best even when it might be something new. At camp you can be asked to take out trash, clean the bath house, stack kayaks, and fix archery targets and anything under the sun. Many of the tasks are things you were not prepared for or even knew how to complete, but you try. You try and you might fail, but at camp you always try again. There is no quitting. With any job I was given I put my full effort into it because I wanted to give back to this program everything that it has given to me.

It’s Not Goodbye, It’s See Ya Later

Being that I graduate from college this upcoming May, I sadly had to decline a full-time summer job with Camp Thompson to be more available to pursue a teaching job. This was a decision I debated for a long time. Camp had been my life, my home, for the past summers and it was strange to think about not going back. Even on days I was not working at camp, I found myself there walking around. Camp is truly a magical escape where it doesn’t rain, it’s only liquid sunshine and were fun is our primary goal. There is a long list of things that I will miss about camp including the children who make my job worth the long hours and the other staff members who become a family by the end of the summer. But what I will miss most are the unexpected moments that no one can predict. At camp you can never think you know what is going to happen that day. Surprise challenges, impromptu grape tossing competitions, getting stuck on a zip line are just some of the moments that happen just because it is camp. These are the moments that I will always remember and forever miss.

Oh the Stories I Could Tell

I think my family could tell you everything we do at camp because of how much I talk about camp at home. Each Saturday night when I come home for 24 hours before I head back to camp on Sunday is spent at the dinner table telling all the stories I could remember from camp that week. Picking just two to talk about is quite a challenge, but I will try my best.

The first category of memories that I always remember are my overnight trips with my campers. I was new to Camp Thompson when I became a counselor so these overnight trips seemed a bit scary at first. My first year was filled with many “just checking” phone calls back to camp, a makeshift map from Kacey (which smudged a lot due to my sweaty hands) and the every so often, “It’s just a little further,” to my campers. Each time I made it to our shelter and each time my cabin and I had the best bonding moment of the entire week. Sitting by a campfire talking with sore feet and eating mac and cheese from one pan has a way to bring a group of girls together. One of my most memorable trips was to Ricketts Glen with 20 of my LIT campers. The drive was long and the weather was cold, but the moment we hiked to see that first waterfall, it was all worth it. To experience something so breath-taking with these campers with whom I had spent the last two weeks was something I will never forget.

The second things that I will always remember (and sometimes I wish I could forget) are the challenges. Challenges and color wars was something specific to Camp Thompson and it was something that made it so special. I never enjoyed seeing Justin sneak back into the kitchen because I knew that it was a food challenge. But the excitement from the campers made eating those things I really never knew what I was eating worth it. Being able to laugh at yourself and look silly was part of the job requirement because that is exactly what you do in challenges. It is all for the points and all for the laughter.

One of the largest challenges of all was the Apache Relay Race (dun dun dunnn). If you have a child that comes to camp, they probably beg to come the fourth week just for this reason. The Apache Race is the Amazing Race of camp. It is long and arduous, but in the end when we are all standing around our bonfires at the end in tears, it is truly a bonding experience. I had the pleasure of winning the race twice, but the year that I was most proud of is the year we came in second. Our yellow team was made up of two of the youngest cabins and everyone had bet against us. I had never seen a group of campers work so hard and as a team in my whole camp career. When we burnt our rope in the final challenge, I was so proud of each and every one of my campers. That final group hug and how I felt will always stay with me for the rest of my life.

When I asked a few staff both returning and leaving, how camp affected their life and career in a positive way I got these responses:

I started going to camp at a very influential stage of my life and when I transitioned into staff I was given my first real experience with responsibility. I have received numerous opportunities to develop myself as a leader. Getting to work with kids that genuinely look up to you as a role model made me become that positive influence I wanted them to have. Even though summer camp and nuclear engineering have nothing in common, I will always remember camp with fond memories. I went to camp as a shy, quiet kid and left as a confident “grown-up” who has no problem getting in front of a group to speak or embarrassing myself for the joy of others. — Greg B

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Being a leader and a role model for younger kids is one of the most rewarding feelings there is. Teaching kids important life lessons and morals is the main reason I do camp. It has taught me a lot more responsibility and helped me grow. It is by far the best job I’ve ever had. — Hunter

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Being a part of summer camp staff has more than just impacted my life, it is my life. Camp Thompson was the place where I met some of my best friends, many of whom I think of as family, and where I met campers that have changed my life in countless ways. Passing through the ranks starting as a camper has allowed me the privilege and honor to watch our campers and staff members grow and learn, many of them from elementary school and beyond. Being a part of Camp Thompson staff is much more than just a job. To me, it is everything. — Kacey

Every year I am blessed to have numerous staff give 110 percent every day for three months. It’s a privilege to work with each of them, and there’s something special when I see them gain life changing experiences from those campers and camp. I want nothing more for them than to grow and share these traits with other adults and children in their professional careers. I’m happy to be a part of their journey and glad to share their stories and see how summer camp can change their lives for the better.

If you are ready for the challenge and interested in a fun journey, we are still looking for camp counselors. Our applications can be found online, and emailed to me when complete. We only have four months and two weeks to go!

-by Brittany Rose, Camping Services Director