Why Summer Camp?

For the past two years I have spent part of my summer in Burnet, TX, a little town that’s home to a place that means the world to me – Camp Longhorn.

My days there are spent soaking up the sun, having fun with kids (and adults alike), teaching activities from crafts to sailing, immersing myself in camp traditions, performing skits for the amusement of the campers, conquering the mile swim (yikes, I know) and growing lifelong friendships with campers, counselors, staff, and directors.

More importantly though, my days are spent as a role model, as a leader, as a young woman doing the work God called her to do by investing herself in the younger generation.They’re spent pushing myself to be the best version of me in order to set the best example for the eyes looking up to me.

They’re spent empowering kids and young adults to try new things, be more comfortable in their own skin, respect one another, respect themselves, and, in line with the vision Tex and Pat (the founders of Camp Longhorn) had, treat everybody like a somebody.

I get to live out my purpose and develop more of a purpose as I go. Can you say most rewarding job ever?

I can, but to you a rewarding job may look different. Nowadays society’s standards of success and definition of a “real job” can influence whether you deem the work you’re doing as rewarding. The pressure of finding the ideal summer internship or job in the field of work you want to go into is ever-present among college students and recent grads. I firmly believe that being happy with, finding joy in, and living out your purpose in what you do is the most important criteria.

This past January, heading into my second semester of nursing school, I knew an internship was something potentially on the horizon for me this summer. I found myself at a crossroads: do I follow the traditional path of a nursing student and apply for internships at various hospitals and hope that out of the thousands of applicants I get selected? Or, do I go back to my favorite place on earth for the third summer in a row?

I made the decision I knew would bring me the most joy, surround me with the best people, and allow me to immerse myself in an empowering, positive, life-changing experience. I made the decision I knew would allow me to develop my leadership abilities, communication and time management skills, and my ability to work on a team. Camp Longhorn.

This summer I get to spend my weeks working at camp in a new way (along with my brother, his girlfriend, and my other brother). Being a nursing student, I can now spend my time at camp working under nurse practitioners in the infirmary (aka Pit Stop for all my peeps who know the camp lingo #Attawaytogo!!). I get to take care of matters ranging from medications to asthma to skin conditions to sprained ankles and broken bones (although hopefully none of those this year). Being that I am interested in working in pediatrics, this opportunity is a dream for me. This opportunity allows me to spend yet another summer at my favorite place on earth surrounded by the best people as I learn new things and grow into my best self each day. I feel so blessed to be able to spend another summer at camp and am so ready to be back in Burnet, y’all!

At this point, you might be asking, why camp? Why’s it so great? What do you get out of it? How does it compare it to a typical 9-5 internship in a hospital, business office, or another job field you may be going in to?

Well, you’re in luck. Here are my 3 main selling points on why if you have the opportunity, you should jump at the chance to be a camp counselor (and one at Camp Longhorn – C3 if you want an experience as rewarding as mine).

1.You’re constantly teaching and constantly learning.

Aside from the super fun day and night camp activities, you’re developing in yourself and instilling in others important qualities.

You teach campers responsibility as you become responsible for them.

You teach campers how to put the needs of others before their own as you learn to do so better yourself.

You teach campers to be comfortable being themselves as you learn how to be more comfortable being yourself (because we’re all learning that as we go, right?).

You teach campers how to be problem solvers and face their problems head-on as you figure out how to navigate camp conflicts better yourself (nothing like a little cabin drama to turn you into a master mediator worthy of law school).

You teach campers how to respect one another as you learn to gain respect from them in creative ways. Gaining their trust is the key to having them view you as someone they respect, not only their superior.

You teach campers how to be part of a team as you learn to collaborate constantly with the team, you’re on.

You teach campers how to encourage, include, and empower one another as you learn better how to encourage, include, and empower each one of them, along with yourself.

You teach campers how to be leaders as you learn to be a better leader yourself. You manage a cabin of campers as well as relationships between campers, your co-counselors, other staff members, and directors at all times.

You teach campers how to grow into themselves and mature as you learn from them how to be a child again, how to allow yourself to have fun and not take yourself too seriously.

You come away from camp with skills to take into your personal and professional life.

You’re building your character while you shape theirs.

2. You go above and beyond the 9-5.

You’re on the clock 24/7.

When the homesick camper wakes you up at 3 am, you wipe the tired off your face and console them in the best way you can. In that moment, your job is to be there for them, to hug them, to comfort them, and to assure them that their parents want them to be having a great time here.

When the whole cabin is scared to get in their bunks because little Sally just so happened to get bit by a scorpion 30 minute before lights out, you get on your hands and knees and search the whole cabin top to bottom, flashlight in hand (because what fun is camp if it has electricity, right?). In that moment, your job is to assure every single girl in that cabin that the scorpion is gone, and they won’t have any critters crawl into bed with them (knowing full and well that the screen windows won’t deter the camp creatures). And let me tell you, that convincing is a hard one to accomplish. (Yes, Meg and I did have a scorpion hunt in our cabin last summer).

The sleep you lose, the energy you lack, and the slight scorpion phobia you have (one you don’t let show of course), is all trumped by the love you feel for these kids. It’s all trumped by the want and need to be the best you can and show up in the best way for these campers. Getting to have fun with, lead, support, and grow with your campers makes it all worth it. You drink some coffee for lack of sleep. You overcompensate with bigger smiles and louder chants hoping the kids don’t notice your tiredness. And, most importantly, you pray to God that you don’t actually see a scorpion.

No, it’s not a 9-5. All hours of the day you’re in the clock. And let me tell you something about that time, lean in close for this one… it flies. 7 days feels like 2. The days feel like hours and the hours feel like minutes.

The best part of it all? For weeks after camp you’ll be wishing you had kids turning to you left and right for things like late night scorpion hunts and you’ll know that the work you did there impacted you as much as it impacted your campers.

3. You build an extensive network.

The counselors you work alongside come from different backgrounds (or similar ones #AWHOOP), have different

experiences, and come from different walks of life. You all bring something important to the table for one another. You form relationships as you go through some of the toughest, happiest, and most joyous times together (working for Tex nights and mile swim day being at the top of that list).

These parents trust you with their children. At the end of the week when they see how happy their kids are, how close you've become, and how their child looks up to you, they welcome you into their arms like family. Because in a way, you will always be a part of their child's life. The parents want to hear about your current place in life and support you in your next steps. And, it’s not uncommon for parental connections to lead to job opportunities down the road. They have something with you that they don’t with other potential employees right off the bat – trust.

The directors and other staff at camp become people you look up to. They become your mentors and go-to’s at camp. They too want to support you outside of camp.

Your camp people become your family and your network grows immensely, extending far past camp.

If I haven’t sold you on camp yet, well, you’ll just have to try it out for yourself and see. But, after reading this, I hope you see that it's not only a 9-5 summer job or internship in an office that can teach you skills you'll take into your professional lives.

If you have the opportunity to spend a week or two immersed in camp life...

TAKE IT.

Embrace it.

Invest a week of your time in the younger generation.

Take the time to touch lives and see just how much your life is touched back.

(Yes, Camp Longhorn C3 is still looking for summer counselors and YES, PLZ REACH OUT if you're interested.)

For all my camp peeps reading this,

ATTAWAYTOGO & SEE YOU IN 2 WEEKS! :)

To end, some words from Mr. Walt Disney himself that help explain why being a child at heart, investing time in helping children grow into their best selves, and being a part of a summer camp is something I’ll forever value.

“It's a mistake not to give people a chance to learn to depend on themselves while they are young.”

“Too many people grow up. That's the real trouble with the world, too many people grow up. They forget. They don't remember what it's like to be 12 years old. They patronize, they treat children as inferiors. Well, I won't do that.”

“My business is making people, especially children, happy.”