My Camp Canada Journey
Hi! My name is Anna and I’m from Dublin, Ireland. I have just joined the Toronto office as an Applications Assistant.
I first heard about Camp Canada back in 2014, during my final year of high school. A friend of mine (Aly, who now also works at Camp Canada!) was off to work at a camp in Montreal for the summer. I had never heard of summer camp before, but it seemed like it was right down my alley.
It wasn’t until 2016 that I decided to take the plunge and try this thing called ‘summer camp’. So, I applied to the Camp Canada program and even went along to the Dublin Job Fair. Hands shaking, thinking of ways to back out of this scary experience I was about to embark on. I spoke with several Camp Directors at the job fair and received three job offers. I went with my gut and accepted a General Counsellor role at a summer camp in Northern Ontario. If my hands were shaking before, they most certainly were now.
While I was a bag of nerves leading up to my departure date and when I arrived in Canada, I was welcomed with warm smiles and friendly faces from the Camp Canada team. They answered my many questions and eased any worries I had before I made my way up to camp for the summer.
After my first summer at camp, it was safe to say I was hooked! I had the most incredible eight weeks there. Before I even returned home to Ireland, I was already thinking about a second summer at camp.
Back at home after camp, I couldn’t stop talking about camp experience. So, I applied to be a regional representative for Camp Canada. After having such an amazing time at camp, I wanted others back home to experience it too.
I started doing presentations at universities and colleges and promoting the program on social media. Any way of sharing the camp word, I did it! After a couple months of this, I became part of Camp Canada’s Eh Team. The Eh team was made up of four Regional Representatives - two in the UK, one in Australia and myself in Ireland. We worked together to recruit as many participants as possible from our respective countries.
Summer 2017 came around and I headed back to Canada for my second year at camp. I was a little apprehensive as to whether it would be as good as my first year, but it was bigger and better than ever! After my second summer at camp, I became even more passionate about spreading the camp love back home.
Myself and one of the Eh Team members, Michelle, co-lead a new team of Regional Representatives and Brand Ambassadors. We shared our experiences from the previous season and encouraged these new Reps and Brand Ambassadors to do the same - share their summer camp stories with others around the world.
In January 2018, I became an Applications Assistant in Ireland. I interviewed participants, finding out more about them and where at camp they would fit best. With this new role, it became clear how much I loved being being part of the Camp Canada team.
So here I am, at the Camp Canada office in Toronto, experiencing winter in Canada for the first time (help!). Imagine if those nerves got the better of me on my way to the 2016 job fair. That first summer at camp completely changed my path for the following years and I am so glad my nerves never got the best me.
My piece of advice to anyone looking to take the plunge and work at summer camp? Embrace the shaky hands, the butterflies in your tummy, because one summer at camp can change your life.
