Personal Narrative: My First Experience As A Counselor

The first day of school is always going to be nerve-wracking. You're meeting new people who you'll spend eight hours a day with, five days a week, for thirty six weeks. As a brand new counselor, I couldn't help but flash back to those feelings on the drive from the bus stop, up the road to camp. I admit, I was scared. I had flown across the country to work with a ton of people from all different backgrounds, and I barely knew anything about any of them. I was already worried about who I would end up friends with. However, the worries were all for naught. The car door opened, and I was seemingly rushed by a group of people, who I vaguely recognized from Facebook pictures or pictures off the website. That was the beginning of what was without a doubt the best summer I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing.

In 2016, my last year as a camper in California, being out was a struggle. I had only been on testosterone for a few months by the time summer rolled around, and wasn't very confident in myself as a person. I eventually hit a wall with the directors of the camp, who believed that it was a risk to put me in the cabin that was generally for the boys. Not for me, but for the other campers. It had taken persuading and an arrangement of an assigned bedroom, but I eventually got to have my week at camp. Having known the other campers for four years prior before I came out, it wasn't the easiest transition. At Camp Hawkeye, I didn't hold that fear and I feel that even if I had, it would've been gone quickly. Every single person I met and worked with at camp was accepting with open arms and I easily became part of the Hawkeye