After speaking with a few area adults who worked as camp counselors when they were teens, I’m certain of one thing: This is an opportunity that can benefit your child in many BIG ways, and not just in the near-term.
Kerri Anderson-Mulé started as a Salinas YMCA camp counselor the summer between her junior and senior years of high school and continued through college. During that time she progressed from counselor to senior counselor to camp director.
“I had so many opportunities in my life because of the program,” she said. “It’s all because of deciding to become a camp counselor that I had these experiences and made very special connections.”
New Experiences, New Skills
Training staff, public speaking, budgeting for food and equipment, and considering safety needs and resources were just some of the skills Anderson-Mulé gained. “I also had opportunities to make my curriculum, determine activities, be creative, choose and develop themes, and set agendas,” she said.
“Many different roles are needed in summer camp, and you have to wear a lot of hats,” said Michelle Dominguez, who worked as a camp counselor at Stevenson School beginning when she was a teen. “By the end of my first year as a camp counselor, I had teaching experience, coaching experience, event planning experience, and I knew how to manage a budget.”
Dominguez also worked as a camp counselor from high school through college. Her stints included three summers at resident camp and working at a variety of specialty camps from academics to sports to wilderness camps.
Because of this, she said, her camp counseling experience was a great résumé builder. “It’s hard to get a position when you don’t have any experience, and this really paved the path for me.”
Years later, she’s in a career she loves that fondly reminds her of her days as a camp counselor. Her role as Associate Head of School – Enrollment & Community for All Saints Day School is a perfect fit. “In a lot of ways, I do a lot of the same things I did as a summer camp counselor,” she said, “except I wasn’t finding students to enroll.”
Kristan Lundquist said she happened to fall into the opportunity of being a camp counselor. Her parents wanted to make sure she spent her summertime productively and suggested she apply to be a camp counselor with the Salinas YMCA.
“It was an amazing opportunity and something that really ended up shaping my career,” said Lundquist, who is Director of Library and Community Services for the City of Salinas, where she started in Recreation 27 years ago.
Working as a camp counselor actually changed Lundquist’s college pathway. She initially declared her major in Physical Therapy but then thought to talk with her mentor from her camp counseling days. “I went to him and said, ‘This is what I want to do. What do I need to pursue?’ This is what led me to a degree in recreation and leisure studies.”
Lessons Learned
Asked if they would recommend the experience of working as a camp counselor, each respondent quickly replied with “Absolutely!” The skills they developed and the experiences they had were invaluable.
“I learned responsibility,” Lundquist shared. She credits her camp counselor experiences with informing her philosophy that it takes an entire community to raise a child. “It really molded my love for children and the belief that community as a whole are responsible for all children — whether they are your own, relatives, or kids in the community itself.”
“In camp, children spend every week of the summer with us, so you became an extension of their family. You never know what’s happened in a child’s life, and if a child is acting out, understanding the needs of the child and having empathy is so important. All these things have molded my life. “
As she gave me a glimpse into a camp day, Anderson-Mulé revealed, “I really learned what it’s like to work hard.” When working at resident camp, she said, “You’re on 27/7.” This serves her well today as she manages her husband’s busy dentistry practice in Salinas.
Working as a camp counselor taught Dominguez problem-solving and time-management skills, which age range of kids she enjoys working with the most, and how to multitask. Thanks to those experiences, she’s been able to continue to carry the same responsibilities she had when she was the school’s Director of Enrollment along with the greater scope of her current role.
Magical Moments & Sweet Surprises
Among the most meaningful parts of the camp counselor experience are the bonds of friendship and sense of community developed while learning and working together.
“Most definitely you can build lifelong friendships,” Lundquist shared. “Kerri (Anderson-Mulé) is a perfect example. I don’t see her often but when we do, we can pick up right where we left off. You create a family with staff in camp. I know I can count on a handful of people who grew up with me in the camp system.”
It’s also a fun job, Lundquist pointed out. “Not only are you getting to experience new things, we had weeklong trips out of the area.” One trip was to the Grand Canyon. “Having the opportunity to take kids out of their environment for something they don’t usually get to do, there is something magical about that.”
Anderson-Mulé agreed. Trips as a camp counselor for her included Santa Catalina Island, backpacking in Yosemite, Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, and Magic Mountain. She also gained some unique opportunities because of her work.
“The Y had a foreign exchange program, and I hosted a young man from Spain who stayed and worked with me as a counselor at the camp,” she said. “Then, we were sent to World Camp as campers and representatives from our countries and met other teens from all over the world.”
In addition to lifelong friendships, travel, and meeting others with different backgrounds, Anderson-Mulé shared the sweet surprises that happen when she runs into former campers.
“It’s exciting to see former campers and learn that they’ve gone on to become CITs and then counselors,” she said. “Those are the experiences I don’t think you get from a regular job. As a teen, you don’t understand your impact on their lives.”
Hands-down, Anderson-Mulé said, “It’s one of the best jobs! It can be very rewarding and fun. Days go by quickly, and it doesn’t feel like work.”
“It was the most fun I’ve ever had!” Dominguez admits. “For kids who aren’t so athletic or into performing arts, or part of another group, summer camp counseling offers a similar to feel to that.”
“There’s something very magical about it — learning that you can have that deep camaraderie with the people you work with. I think everyone deserves to experience that.”
Wendy J. Rosenthal is a graduate student for an MA in Counseling and PPS Credential in School Counseling. She was appointed by State Superintendent Tony Thurmond to serve on his Parent Advisory Council. She and her two children reside in Salinas with their rescue pup Sherman.
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