
Working at a summer camp is admittedly not for everyone, but if you are thinking about filling out an application, do it! The rewards are great. Working at a camp involves long days, it’s sometimes hot, or wet, and you will be tired. You will encounter problems that you did not think you were prepared for. You will live in close quarters and your best and worst traits will be on stage for all to see. You will collect a paycheck, but it will not be a grand paycheck, and in the end all this will not matter to you.
What you collect while given the opportunity to work at camp is far more valuable then money. You will learn the feeling of having a group of people depend on you. You will learn about you, what you can handle, what you like, and what type of person you want to be. You will form bonds with fellow staff members that you may never have meet if you had not worked at Oswegatchie. You will experience passion for life. You will play and work all day and through the night. You will learn to manage a group, and learn how to convince people of your way of thinking. You will form a bond with the people but also the place. You will carry all these skills with you into the next adventure of your life.
There are summer jobs that are easier or pay more, but there are few jobs that give back so much. When you walk away at the end of the summer, you do so having built a new network of friendships, connections, and confidence. You will have left a positive impression on youth and Oswegatchie will forever be a part of you.
From the Heart,
Robin Waite
Assistant Camp Director