Sydney Jensen

Mapleton, Utah

Nursing 

Leadership Track

 

Camp counselor at Camp Kesem, Summer of 2018

 

My EDGE project was done during the later half of spring and the summer of 2018. Camp Kesem is a camp that is free of charge for children in the community that have parents who have been effected by cancer. As members of the Camp Kesem staff, we had many roles to make this camp happen. In the spring of 2018 I applied to be a counselor. It took a few weeks after I had applied but I was accepted to be a counselor at camp. I was very excited to say the least. After I had been accepted, I began trainings on campus for camp. The trainings consisted of weekly meetings where we would discuss upcoming fundraising events, important education coming up, and how to register for online training sessions. I went to all the trainings that were required, did as many fundraising events as I could, and completed all of the online training modules required for camp. 

 

Summer came and camp couldn’t arrive soon enough! All of us were very excited for camp to arrive but there was still a lot of work to be done. Camp coordinators still needed help planning activities, getting extra counselors, planning meals, and finishing up last minute fund raising. They asked us as counselors to help where we could which we were happy to do. 

 

The week of camp finally arrived and as counselors we had to be at camp for some training the night before camp started. We went through the training and prepared the camp for the next morning when the campers would arrive. The next morning, we set up sign in tables, luggage stations and health checks for the campers who were coming to camp. Some would come on the bus from Cedar City but others came with their parents and checked in to camp with them so we had to be ready for both situations. 

 

The morning went smoothly and carried on into the afternoon. Once all the campers were checked in, we assigned them to their cabins and they went off with their counselors to get settled in to their cabins. When this happens we take the kids to the cabins, help them unpack, and establish cabin rules, and do bonding activities. It was really fun getting to know the kids and all of their personalities. Some activities followed throughout the day and the kids had a blast at all of them. 

 

The rest of the week basically had the same routine of getting up at 0700 for breakfast, followed by a few activities, then lunch, feet on bed time (quiet time), then more activities, dinner, then closing circle. Each day was filled with a fun variety of activities for the kids to do throughout. It is a great way to take their minds off of all the hard times at home. The week went very smoothly and the kids were able to confide in us as counselors if they needed anything at all from a band aid to someone to talk to we were there and it was great! 

 

I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything in the world. I hope to do Camp Kesem again in the future so I can be there for more of these awesome kids!