Summer Camp by Corina

Summer Camp by Corina - May 2018 Scholarship Essay

For the past couple of summers I have been volunteering for a summer camp in the mountains with fourth and fifth grade girls. We stay in these little cabins with rickety bunk beds, and poor air conditioning. While the cabins may not be the best, the experiences I have there always are.
This past summer I was the head counselor for these girls and it was honestly kind of terrifying having to be in charge of 15 girls. While that may not sound like a lot, it really is. The girls are always very rambunctious and rowdy, and it makes controlling them very difficult. I had to make sure they all had water, wore their sunscreen, didn’t get hurt or lost, and had a good time. Being the head counselor was very intimidating but it was a very enjoyable experience. Some girls from previous years helped me to feel more confident because they always made me feel like I was doing my best and they respected me. I remember going with one group and we went to the zip line. I made sure all my little campers had their gear on correctly and weren’t scared of climbing the post to go down the zip line. Some of course were scared, but I had to encourage them to do it because it was going to be a wonderful experience they wouldn’t forget. When they got done they told me how fun it was and that they were going to get in line again because it was so much fun. I really just love helping out and getting to connect with these younger girls.

However, there are always a few who like to be the rebels and then I have to be the “bad guy”. It’s really hard for me to lay down the law with these girls, but sometimes you need to be in order for them to be safe. While we were there, it rained a lot. There were also several occasions where it would be thundering and lightning would be seen as well. I had to tell the girls they needed to stay inside and not be outside in the rain because they could get hurt and some would go play out in the rain anyways. Unfortunately for them they had to stay with me inside doing nothing because they didn’t listen, and that was hard for me because I wanted them to go and have fun doing other things. It’s hard to make them do things they don’t want to, but sometimes it’s for their best and you just have to make them do it no matter what.

Volunteering at this summer camp has really taught me how to be more responsible and made me realize all the things my parents do for me are always in my best interest even if I can’t see it. Being in charge of all of these girls was like being their parent and it was hard to be in that role after being the kid for the past 18 years. It really showed me that being the parent is hard because you want your child to have fun and do the right things, but sometimes they don’t and you have to punish them for it. I had to lead these girls in doing the right things and guide them to choose what’s right, and that’s not always easy. I had to be responsible for all of them and I’ve only had to be responsible for myself mostly, but being responsible for another human being is hard. This camp taught me how to guide these girls and how to be responsible for another person. I had to make sure all these girls were on time to activities, to meals, to dress appropriately, and how to do things for themselves.

Volunteering for this camp is always a wonderful experience and I love being with the girls. They always make me see things in a new way and how to live life without a care. They do things without thought sometimes, and while that can be bad, it can also be good. It’s taught me how to be my own person, but more importantly how to take care of others and be more of an adult.