Sarah is a counselor in the 5-8 camp for eighth grade girls.
How long have you been with SEP?
This is my very first time ever being at SEP!
What made you want to work here?
While I was hesitant about spending my summer at the University of Virginia (kidding!), I have heard nothing but great things about this program! My sister was a counselor at SEP several years ago and could not stop raving about how much fun she had. When I was filling out the application, I appreciated that it had a couple goofy questions so I felt like they were looking for counselors with unique personalities, which I loved.
What's your special topic?
My special topic is called "Anatomy of an Olympian" and we will be discussing both the literal and figurative characteristics of an "Olympian." We'll talk about famous athletes, and discuss what it takes to get to the Olympic games, while looking at some of the science behind it, including nutrition and training, as well as the ideals of Olympic athletes like dedication and patriotism.
What's your favorite part of camp and why?
My favorite part of camp so far has been the hall time and quiet time I've had with my girls! They are just so eager to get to know each other and they always come up with games and activities to teach the other girls. I love chatting with them about what they're learning in their classes, and it's really refreshing to see that much passion in middle schoolers! They make my job so much fun and I love knowing that they're having a great time here at camp.
What's your hall theme?
Our hall is red, white, and blue nautical themed. Each camper door has a fishing net with a life preserver and an oar. My door has stars and stripes with an anchor and boat vector, as well as a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air."
Do you prefer eating at O-Hill or St. Anne's?
St. Anne's for sure! They always have a huge salad bar with yummy toppings and their main and side dishes are different every day. I just feel like the food there is much lighter than the food at O-Hill, and we have more options. I go to Tech, so my standards for college dining halls are pretty high. Step it up O-Hill.
What's something about you that someone might not expect if they didn't know you well?
If you don't know me well, you might not know that when I was younger, my dream job was to be a "professional untangler." I wanted to have a store where customers brought me their necklaces to untangle.
When you first started working here, what's something that surprised you?
I think the thing that has surprised me the most is the level of intelligence and zeal these kids have! Every day when we're walking out of class, they are so eager to tell me about all the things they learned and a lot of the time it's even stuff I've been talking about in college! They are thirsty for knowledge and it's really cool to see them so excited about their classes even during summertime!
Can you tell us a funny story that's happened at camp so far?
Well, recently we had a mixer at dinner where my group of girls got to sit with our "brother suite," the group of oldest rising eighth grade boys. The other counselor and I installed a rule that the campers had to sit boy, girl, boy, girl and all of my girls asked me if I was joking. Of course not. So the boys all sat down in every other chair and my girls proceeded to stand next to the table just looking at me, then looking at the boys, then looking at the empty chairs, then looking back at me...until I coached them each into their seats. They ended up laughing a lot and having a great time together.
What do you think is the most difficult part of the job?
I have a very relationship-oriented personality and I really prefer to make a tight bond with a few people than have tons and tons of friends. Large groups kind of intimidate me, so camp has brought me out of my comfort zone! I am a little worried about having to say goodbye to my session 1 campers because I already feel so close to them!
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