What: I represented Virginia Tech as a Hokie Camp Counselor in the summer of 2014. It is a very rigorous application process and hundreds of people apply and I was selected. I was so excited when I got the news. I went to Hokie camp as an incoming freshman and now I was going to on the other side of the camp. Throughout the 2013-2014 school year there was weekly meetings to teach us leadership techniques and what we were going to do with all these new Hokies. I was one of six counselors for the Green Gladiators. We each had to lead a group of about six new Hokies. We greeted them with Enter Sandman as they exited the bus, we created cheers to sing, we facilitated nightly meetings with our group, and were accountable for the camper’s safety and whereabouts.
So What: During my time as a Hokie Camp Counselor I work as a leader in charge of the six individuals but also had to work as a team with the five other counselors of the green team. This was really the first time in my college life I was a leader in charge of people solely on my own. It was a scary feeling the first time we broke into groups and it was just me with these incoming freshman. It was also interesting to work in this environment because yes, I was older then these people I was leading but not by much, only two years and I had to be an authority figure. That was something I had to take into account when leading. It was different then leading over a child much younger then you. This experience has really grown me as a leader and as a person. It showed me that I can be a leader and I can take the knowledge given to be and be an effective leader. It also showed me what I needed to work on. At first this experience was very uncomfortable to me. They were all new people in a new place and I was acting very shy and reserved which is very different from my personality. I needed to feel confortable in my own skin as a leader. Its okay to be you and people are accept you for who you are and they skills you bring to the table.
HOKIE CAMP COUNSELOR!
Now What: This experience changed me to be more confident in who I am. Not thinking I can’t do this and that my campers wont like me and wont be respected to, I am a leader and deserve respect and will give the same respect to all my campers. Since this was my first real leadership role that it was a little rocky, but I got through it and I believe that alone helped me believe in myself. All of the campers were informed and were talking, they all seemed to enjoy themselves, and no one got hurt or excluded. At the end of the three-day camp when we were all packing up and ready to get on the bus to go back to Blacksburg they were all taking pictures with each other and wanted to take pictures with me. That made me very thankful and appreciative of this opportunity. I facilitated them in making friends and feel the Hokie bond, but also that they liked me and appreciated me as a leader and that I did a good job in that regard. This leadership opportunity gave me a great starting point and made me feel that I could make a difference to others as a leader and can be effective. Being a Hokie Camp Counselor gave me the validation, confidence, and drive to participate in more leadership in the future.
Here is a link to learn more about Hokie Camp: http://www.nsfp.vt.edu/hokie_camp/index.html