As summer was approaching this year, I thought that I had my jobs all laid out from when I got home in early May to mid-August when I would start to repack my life to move it an hour back to school.
I was going to work at summer school, just as I had the past summer. I loved working at school and worked there pretty much all year round, so, it made lots of sense for me to just continue down that path.
After school one day when I had gotten home and thrown my lunch box on the counter with a Gogurt and a cheese stick wrapper still floating around inside of it, my dad came into the kitchen with his reading glasses on and his phone ready to show me something.
Originally, I had just assumed that it was an Instagram reel as those are my dad’s favorite things on planet Earth and if he’s laughing, chances are it’s at an Instagram reel (shoutout dad, they are pretty funny).
When he came into the kitchen and showed me a job posting for a summer camp counselor at a private school for kids with dyslexia, I was taken aback as my mom had shown me the same posting months ago.
On Facetime months prior, my mom had read me the posting and it sounded like the job was honestly created for me. While I knew that I would love the job, the application process fell at the same time as finals so the posting went by the wayside along with other things that should’ve been like, oh I don’t know, my laundry!
My dad finding a posting for that specific job for one counselor was a long shot so I figured, what’s the worst that happens? I apply and don’t get it? But it didn’t matter anyway because, within a day, I had the job and was already packing my things to go to camp.
The summer program was at The Gow School – a school for students grades 5-12 with dyslexia. It’s a sleepaway camp where students are able to receive personalized academics for dyslexia in an educational state where students with dyslexia sometimes fall through the cracks.
When I first got to camp, I poked my boss with an umbrella while he was trying to show me the building we would both eventually end up living in and winning every board game we played as partners (Johnny, when’s the next game night?). My incredible co-counselor Madison was the next face I saw and from that moment on, we were inseparable. We were the most dynamic of duos you could ever meet and we stayed that way all summer.
I received my assignment of working with eight and 9-year-old boys and though I didn’t know what exactly to expect at the beginning of camp, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Throughout the duration of camp, we had every unbelievable experience in one summer that you could ever imagine. So, here’s a condensed collective list.
- I’ve had chocolate sauce, ice cream, pudding, sprinkles, and cheese balls dumped all over me
- I was a general for the biggest event at camp and got to compete with my fantastic lieutenant Noah, against Madison and her fantastic general, Camila (Knights won, no biggie)
- I have been pushed into many a wall and locked out of many a building by my incredible dorm mate counselors
- I have been one-upped in my Cotton-Eyed Joe dancing skills (looking at you Erin)
- I taught all of the children the importance of dabbing
- I think I found a long-lost twin that I can find by playing “Dear Theodosia” from Hamilton as she will start to scream sing
- I had undeniably the best summer of my life <3
The summer program at Gow has given me an unforgettable set of friends that I can lean on in any situation and can call no matter how far they are. I was able to experience things that I can never express my gratitude for. I want to thank all of the counselors and leadership staff for giving me an opportunity to know you and to grow with you. For it’s Gow, dear Gow, for you and for me. <3