USU students turn to summer camps
Choosing a summer job is very important to many USU students because for most of them, this is the only time they can work to support themselves during the school year. Some choose to sell pest control, others take internships, but for some USU students, the summer isn’t just about making money. It’s about helping youth as camp counselors.
Many different universities host camps of every kind from sports to religion, each designed to give youth guidance and help. USU hosts a few religious camps for young teenagers to learn more about their faith.
Cam Lee, a junior majoring in business entrepreneurship, will be posted at USU and the University of Utah as a counselor for Especially For Youth, a camp geared for teens in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He said he was inspired to become a counselor after attending the camp himself.
“I went to EFY when I was young and my counselor made an impact on me, and I wanted to pass that on,” Lee said.
Alli Webber, a graduate student in marriage and family therapy, said her favorite part about being an EFY counselor is the joy of watching kids grow.
“It’s fun and rewarding work knowing that you played a role in changing their lives,” she said.
Amber Bown, a junior majoring in social work, volunteers at a camp sponsored by the American Diabetes Association. Each summer the ADA puts on a two-day day camp for children ages 4 to 7 to teach them more about how the food they eat affects them. The camp also includes crafts and other fun activities, she said.
Bown said she feels like the children at camp find it easier to relate to her because they have something in common, diabetes. They can see how she lives a normal life despite the challenges that can come with diabetes. Bown finds it very rewarding to work and play with the children.
“It’s fun to see them year after year. The kids really look up to you. They realize they are not alone,” Bown said.
A common theme among students who enjoy working as counselors is the love of the youth and seeing them change for the better. Ben Watkins, a senior in secondary education, has been working at scout camps every summer for the past nine years. He said seeing the change in the youth is his favorite part about being a counselor.
“I love working with the youth. It’s awesome to see a person walk away at the end of the week with more confidence and desire to do good,” Watkins said.
Even though these students said it is very rewarding working with the youth, they also are aware of the challenges of being a counselor. Lee said connecting with teenagers is difficult some times because each person is different: One might be big into sports, while another may be more sensitive and rather talk instead. He also said attitude is very important.
“It’s sometimes difficult to maintain a good attitude the whole time to make it a positive experience for all the kids,” Lee said.
Watkins said scout camp is much of the same way.
“They keep you on your toes. They are not afraid to speak their mind if you mess up. You can easily upset them if they see you do something they don’t like,” he said.
-dwkoecher@cc.usu.edu