My growth as a counselor
I came to Skyline in 2013 as an 11 year old and knew from then on that I wanted to be a counselor at camp. I always thought all of my counselors were so cool and I wanted to be just like them. I wanted to teach canoeing, be a head counselor with a walkie talkie, and stand on the dining hall chairs to sing the counselor song. Through my years as a camper I knew that I wanted to be the counselor that everyone came to with their questions, the kind of person that gave the best advice and genuinely cared about my campers. I wanted this because of my favorite counselors who poured into me so much each year, but I did not realize how hard it would be to get there.
I applied to be a junior counselor in 2019 with all of my closest camp friends. I remember being so excited to get the job and immediately started ordering all the “counselor things” I wanted, like a fun backpack and cool water bottle of course. Young, naive, immature Evan thought that summer would be a breeze and I would get to hang out with my camp friends all day long. I think I was more excited to hide during Counselor hunt than I was about anything else. I was quickly proven wrong the first time I had to settle an argument or juggle braiding 15 little girls’ hair each morning when I hadn’t even brushed my own. I had done some babysitting before and thought I was ready, but not being able to leave at the end of the day made it quite different! That summer I was tested in all the ways; my patience, temper, judgement, wisdom, all the things that you don’t think about too much as a teen, I learned I needed to control them. I think I left that summer thinking, “maybe if all my friends work next summer I will too”, if that tells you anything about where my heart was at.
The next year I had no intentions of coming back as none of my friends were, and then covid hit so it didn’t matter anyways. That summer did not feel right though, I couldn’t remember the last summer I had without camp. Freshman year of college threw me for a loop. I hung out with the wrong crowd and had my priorities very twisted, I’m not proud of that year. I ended up not working at camp again in 2021 because I had such an unhealthy fear of missing out on the things happening at home in my college town. Thankfully, in 2022 I missed camp so much I decided to work just two sessions even though I didn’t know anyone working. Ivy asked me to be canoeing head, which I eagerly accepted, and I had a lot of fun on the mountain that year. I met my best friends, checked canoeing head off of my bucketlist, and most of all was given the opportunity to step up and be a leader. I was a counselor in Summerplace first and second sessions that summer and we did not have a Head counselor living in the cabin. We all split tasks that the head counselor would normally have and I gained the confidence to take charge. I got to handle situations that summer that taught me the importance of discretion as a senior counselor, something I didn’t know I could be good at, and I developed a motherly kind of protection for all of the girls in my care. My love of being a counselor started to be more about the kids and less about me. I remember leaving that summer knowing that I actually could be a good leader and have positions at camp that I didn’t feel qualified for beforehand. I also remember wishing that I could stay and that I would have worked the summer before.
In 2023 I had a hard school year and lacked the motivation to apply for camp, but after the counselor recharge weekend that January and seeing all of my friends and camp Admin, I was reminded of why I love working at Skyline so much and felt the Lord nudging me to apply as a head counselor. From the minute I was hired until summer 2023 began I prayed that the Lord would prepare me to fulfill that Head counselor role with grace and that he would help me be a good leader. I always wanted the role as a kid but as it got closer I grew more and more scared.
Despite my worries, camp that summer was my favorite yet. I got to teach canoeing and be Head of my favorite cabin, Riverside. Me and my current roommate Katie were the Riverside heads together and we had the most fun leading the oldest girls at camp. Me and Katie are complete opposites so our leadership styles balanced each other out perfectly. I learned how to live with someone I was working with closely that summer. I think I used almost all of the skills I had learned in counselor orientation and stepped up even more than I thought possible for myself. I was also being poured into so much by our chaplain Ella, who is now one of my great friends. She taught me how to work on my delivery and kindly give criticism along with many other things that I am so thankful for. At the end of that summer Katie and I were offered our current positions as assistant directors and we were so excited we could hardly stand it. I reflected on the years before and could not be more thankful for the path God had for me the whole time, it was like everything had clicked. I can definitely thank him and Skyline for shaping me into who I am today, working towards getting better everyday!
