Why Should I Give Up My Summer To Become A Camp Counselor?
Let’s face it: You have already had an exhausting semester. You have spent too much time studying and not enough time catching up on sleep. Or Netflix. Or time with your friends. You’re not ready to start thinking about summer jobs, but it’s time.
So why should you give up your summer to become a camp counselor when you can earn a paycheck anywhere? I’ll tell you!
- It’s the best way to gain practical, hands-on experience. Whether you’re hoping to become a physical therapist, an educator, a park ranger or a nurse, Camp equips you for a career in a way that no other job can. Here, you can lead a leather-stamping class, teach campers about environmental sustainability, and make kids feel brave when they need to visit the nurse. Here, you can earn certifications in first aid and CPR, complete a lifeguard training program and maybe even earn college credit. Here, you can become an advocate for your neighbors and peers with special needs.
- It’s a chance to learn responsibility for others. When your most important job each day is to make sure that the kids around you are safe, happy and having fun, you gain perspective on your place in the world. Being responsible for a cabin full of campers builds self-confidence, sharpens decision-making skills and displays great strength of character. It also looks great on a resume.
- It’s an opportunity to become someone’s role model. Sure, a lot of what kids love about Camp is singing silly songs, braiding intricate friendship bracelets, splashing in the pool with friends and flying down a zip-line for the first time. But they also love their counselors. When you show a young, impressionable child that you are willing to give up your entire summer to spend time with them, it makes a huge impact! It changes lives and often encourages those same campers to come back to Camp as volunteers, counselors or sponsors.
- It will teach you how to be a part of something bigger than yourself. There’s no stronger bond than the one you make with the people that stand by your side as you brave the summer heat, stay up all night with a sick camper, and learn important life lessons. You can take those experiences with you wherever you go and find comfort in the knowledge that you are part of a larger community – a family – of people that are working to make the world a better and happier place for everyone. Whether you are a kid, a counselor or a volunteer, the time you spend at Camp becomes a crucial part of your identity, and coming back always feels just like coming home.
Written by Emily Hale
