4-H Camp Whitewood in Windsor, Ohio

      Throughout my time as Dean of Women at Camp Whitewood, I helped organize and mentor thirty counselors who watched over nearly one hundred twenty campers. It all begins in January where counselor interviews take place. Then, training commences once a week following the selection process. The main event is camp. It is a week-long adventure without any connections to the online world, so everyone can experience the power of connecting with others and with nature. Some of my duties as a dean involved working closely with the counselors to make sure they are proficiently trained to take care of the campers. Additionally, the deans were tasked with checking over activity plans the counselors made and ensuring their execution during camp. Along with these responsibilities, I also helped with homesick campers and played some games with the campers throughout the week. 

     I have to say being a dean was a much different experience then being a counselor. Throughout this time, I learned what it truly means to be a mentor and motivator for others. I found it difficult at first to be the one other looked up to. Some of the counselors are my good friends, so being the one to have difficult conversations with them was very challenging. After a little practice, I learned how to communicate to them most efficiently, so I was pushing their behavior in a direction without having to tell them exactly what to do. 

     This experience greatly impacted my view on leadership and the ability to bring a team together. I found what leadership style worked for me given the situation, but I also learned the importance of being flexible and welcoming change. This experience has led me to realize that it is great to disconnect from everything and just enjoy where you are in the moment. I plan to take this perspective with me to new situations.