My summer job didn’t come with a large salary, but with splashing on the lake, kids cheering and an abundance of joy. After spending a semester abroad at Casa Artom in the fall, my sophomore year of college was over in what felt like just one semester. Although I was leaving my cozy dorm room and my best friends, I was beyond excited for the summer ahead.
You can almost hear it — the school bell rings, causing hundreds of kids to sprint down the hallways, full of joy and urgency for the much-needed break from school. Lemonade stands, cannon balls into the pool and eating rainbow snow cones are what most of our brains go to when we reminisce on the summer. I think we should keep our summers childlike for as long as possible!
That is exactly how working at a summer camp in a small town in Texas makes me feel each June. Pine Cove Camps has been and continues to be one of the most impactful parts of my life, even if I don’t leave with a full bank account. For the past two summers, I have served as the Highlight Videographer, capturing joyful memories and fun camp activities on camera to turn into a daily highlight reel.
I spent the days capturing content of kids smiling, tubing on the lake, taking a leap of faith off of the zip line tower and spending intentional time with their friends. I spent the nights in an office filled with focused staffers editing the day’s work, laughing at stories, singing to music and eating way too many snacks. Alongside my media requirements, I served in the kitchen during mealtime, enjoying time with cabins of girls around camp and, of course, having fun with my friends on staff. I loved the parts of my day spent holding a camera, but I especially favored my moments with the campers. Building relationships with kids wasn’t in the videographer’s job description, but it was the most special part to me.
A paycheck didn’t matter to me this summer because what I learned was more valuable than money. And the best part was that it never felt like work. Passion doesn’t feel like work. While I was constantly challenged, it was the most fun challenge I’ve ever faced. I believe camp parallels a traditional internship– The skills are just as transferable to a professional setting and it is much more fun for me than corporate life. Summer camp may seem like a magical bubble, but it truly mirrors the real world. You have to take risks, work with others, take responsibility, be a leader and much more that presents itself in life.
One day in mid-June changed how I thought about my “job” completely. The day began early and it was my sixth week at camp, so naturally, I did not want to get out of my top bunk when my alarm went off. “Another day that would look the same,” I thought to myself. Although truthfully, no day at summer camp is ever the same. I got up and assumed my normal routine: I ate breakfast in the back corner of the dining hall, walked over to my office to grab my camera equipment, made a coffee and headed down to the lake to take my favorite type of content.
But this day was anything from ordinary. I got placed into a cabin with eight high school girls because their counselor caught the flu. Why me? I wasn’t a counselor, just the camera girl. Being in charge of these girls while managing my media production job caused immense stress, but also taught me valuable life lessons. I had more fun that day than I did the whole summer. I ran back and forth from monitoring them to getting the necessary camera shots and content, asking people for favors and admitting when I needed help sometimes.
When life threw me something completely out of my comfort zone, it was up to me to make the most of it rather than let it ruin my week. While it sounds cliché, this summer taught me how to seek out joy, love deeper and adapt to the challenges life often presents. The past few summers showed me that fulfillment doesn’t come from money, but from the lessons learned.
While we had a very safe experience at Pine Cove, I would be remiss to not mention the tragedy that occurred at Camp Mystic this summer. On the morning of the Fourth of July, life-threatening flash floods struck Kerr County, leaving 27 girls, including campers and counselors. I acknowledge how lucky my camp community was and we empathize with the community affected.
If I could give one piece of advice, it would be to take advantage of your summers during college. For me, that means creating videos and hanging out with kids in the blazing heat, but it could mean something different for each person. Do something you love, not just that will pad your resume or keep your financial stability. Per my experience, doing what I loved was much more rewarding than any corporate communication job could have ever been.
