Here are a few words from past counselors:
The best you can be
The beautiful thing about camp is that no matter who you are- whether this is your first year or your fifth, whether you are a junior camper or a staff member, you can always grow. Each summer and each cabin holds new adventures and new challenges… now I understand that camp is a place where you can shed the excess and focus on moments of laughter, finding yourself, and discovering who you want to be… At camp, I discovered that it doesn’t matter what I do in life, it only matters that whatever it is, I approach it with positivity, joy, and kindness. That is a lesson I will take with me for the rest of my life. As cheesy as this whole thing sounds— it is true! I have made deep friendships at camp and I have learned how to put others ahead of myself. It is hard to be selfish when I have campers to encourage and to teach and to learn from.
Rockbrook is a special camp because the people there prioritize relationships and personal growth— for campers and counselors! It is a place to learn how to be the best you you can be. I would not trade my experience for anything— 100% would recommend!
—Jannette M.
Beyond my wildest dreams
Over last Christmas Break, I submitted applications to some camp counselor jobs. A few weeks later, I was on the phone with my new boss agreeing to come spend 11 weeks supervising pre-teens at a camp I’d never been to. Needless to say, my expectations were not of a life-changing summer. Sure, I expected to learn patience, meet new people, and have a lot of fun. I hoped I would make some good friends and enjoy my time away from school. However, the experience I had this summer was beyond my wildest dreams. I could never have imagined the way I would be welcomed into my new home away from home with wide open arms.
From Day one, I felt like I was part of a group of fellow counselors who truly wanted to know me and share their lives with me. As the summer progressed, I worked with so many amazing, strong, fearless women who have truly inspired me. I left the summer with endless tales to tell of the beauty of living with hundreds of inspiring, talented, growing girls where I was daily given the privilege and task of helping nurture their future.
—Mallory C.
As real a job as you can get
Whenever I return to the heart of the wooded mountain, whether it is for the first time that summer or after a day off, I feel as though I am returning home. I am my best self at camp, and I get to be surrounded by the beautiful mountains and my friends. I love being a counselor because I get to teach and be goofy, have duties but also have fun. In recent years I have been with the older girls, and as a role model for them, I want them to be comfortable with being their best selves and to become leaders at camp.
People sometimes say, “When will you get a real job?” But working as a counselor, you have as real a job as you can get. It is a 24/7 job where you are in charge of 8-12 girls in your cabin and in your activity, you must work with your co-counselor(s) and the other counselors on your line, and you have responsibilities to your cabin as well as to the whole camp. Plus, you learn life skills such as teamwork, communication, patience, perseverance, and outdoor skills (Those wolf spiders don’t catch themselves!).
The struggles, skills, and successes of camp are very real, and I take what I have learned at camp and apply it to my all leadership roles in my academic career.
—Jenna L.
For Staff too, Camp is…
A Place to Grow
See how this job can shape and support your best self.
