Catherine's Reflection
Now that summer camp is coming to a close, explain 3 key takeaways from the experience? How will you apply it in the future?
Have a positive outlook on things. When I was first switched to Stonebridge location I felt very overwhelmed by the big change coming from a much smaller location. However that was all unnecessary because I ended up making great friends and having a great time as a counsellor at stonebridge. I will definitely try to take on new experiences more positively as the energy spent worrying could be used elsewhere.
Stay organized. Camp is a hectic place and the children will become more hectic if there is not an organized plan. Prepare what you need the night before. Organization is always important across all spaces so being organized will apply in everyday life.
Be flexible. Things won’t always go according to plan but you should always be able to entertain the kids and have back up ideas to pivot to. Flexibility is a skill that helps you in all areas as it ties in adapting, this is something I will apply to my school work and future job experience.
Describe one of the biggest challenges you faced, how you overcame it, and what you learned from it.
In my time at U+ the biggest challenge I faced was being flexible. There were many times where things were not going to the original plan I laid out in my head and a back up plan was put into place. To overcome it I always had another plan in place in case of a change or accepting the change when it happens instead of ruminating. I learned that spending time overthinking a major change takes away from my ability to quickly adapt. Being able to put aside my emotions and be flexible is something that is super important.
To close off the term on a high note, what were 3 highlights from your time at U+?
My top highlights are the close friends I’ve made in my time here. Having these supportive friends during camp and the first 2 months of my co-op term have been a integral part of my experience at U+ Another highlight was the camp carnival day. It was a blast to run the water station. Seeing all the campers have so much fun and bond over the collective goal of dunking their counsellors was great. Doing the Uni co-op interviews was really cool as I got to apply what I learned from school. I also got to interview people that came from different universities and see how things are done differently there.
What is some advice/tip that you would offer to future staff?
Always have back up games. The kids won’t always want to do the scheduled activities so have a back up game they like which can be used to incentivize them to do a little bit of the curriculum and then allow them to play the game they like
Please nominate someone who deserves the employee of the month award and explain why briefly. You can nominate more than one person.
Carson – for driving me part of the way to stonebridge, being a good friend, and supporting/managing all the campsites which couldn’t have been easy
