How Camp Changes Lives

“Going to the Y for camp was the best! Growing up, I spent every summer at Kelso, which meant I got to see familiar faces every year. I remember looking forward to seeing my friends and getting to swim, hike, and crayfish hunt with them.

My favourite part was canoeing.  I remember the counsellors let me sit at the back of the canoe, giving me the opportunity to steer and be in control of the entire boat. Since then, I’ve never sat anywhere else!

There were a few counsellors who stood out to me, and really made my summers special - particularly Josh and Andrew. Andrew was cool because he played the “riddle of the day” game with us: whoever solved the riddle was rewarded with a piece of gum. I became close with Josh because he was the one we spent time with during before and after care, at Ashgrove Public School. After fun-filled days at camp, Josh still had the patience and energy to invest in teaching me the right thing to do.

10 years later, I found myself working for Josh at the Mississauga YMCA. Becoming a camp leader seemed like a natural progression for me, since I’d had so much fun being a camper myself. Once I outgrew the program, I started taking leadership courses and participating in counsellor training programs. I started working as a junior counsellor at Kelso when I was 16. The experience taught me a ton, but most of all, it got me really excited to work for the Y again the next summer!

That year, I started working at the Mississauga YMCA day camp. It was a really special moment for me, because my own experiences as a camper had inspired me to try to make the same positive change in other kids’ lives. From then on, I had always wanted to work with kids and teens with the hopes that I could positively influence them in the same ways my mentors influenced me while I was growing up.  

Today, I’m the director of day camp at the Mississauga YMCA, so my experience with Y camps has truly come full circle! I make sure the kids in my camp have the chance to get active, so we spend a lot of time playing sports, or new games that my team and I have made up ourselves. Most of the time, we’re doing something the kids have never experienced before, so everyone stays on their toes and gets to use their imagination!

The best part is that I get to play fun games, run around, have fun, and be silly with amazing groups of energetic kids. There is simply no better job than that.”